"Where do you want to go, Mom?" Ranma asked as the two of them
left the house.
Nodoka smiled, and then decided to tease her son a bit. "I thought
we'd go downtown and have dinner, and then do some shopping. You have
enough boys' clothing for now, and I would like to see my daughter dressed
in something better, and acting less like a tomboy."
*Yep, my subconscious is really acting up. No way would Mom smile
like that and say that I'm her daughter. Guess I must be feeling guilty
over the way I treated Mom when I was Ranko, and the fact that I ended up
'stealing' the daughter she never had when I finally revealed myself to
her. Well, might as well play along. If I remember this, it may make a
good scenario for our role-playing games.* Ranma thought to himself. "Can
you give me a few minutes then, Mom? I need to go and change."
Nodoka blinked at that, especially when Ranma rushed back in the
house. Ranma was definitely not acting like himself. She had at least
expected some kind of denials that he wasn't her daughter, not her son
rushing back in the house to get changed. Of course, it could be that he
was tired of denying that he was a girl every day, or he could be doing
something to test her resolve. How could Ranma test her by changing into
nicer clothing was the thought she had.
When Ranma came back down wearing an outfit that Nodoka thought
she'd never see on him again, she was shocked. Ranma's hair was down from
the pigtail, and redone into a nice ponytail, a small hat on her head,
black leggings, mini-skirt, blouse, and vest. She was carrying a small
purse, and got a small bottle of water out of the refrigerator. "I'm
ready to go, Mom. Hope we can get more outfits like this one."
Nodoka blinked slowly and decided to play along. Laying her hand
across the girls' shoulder she said, "Of course, daughter. That's much
better than what you were wearing before, and I'm glad that you are
dropping the tomboy look. It's definitely time you grew up."
Ranma smiled as she led the way out of the house, *Well, if I had
any doubts before, this ruins them. Mom wanting me as a daughter is
crazy, and since she seems to want me as one, might as well have fun with
it. If I can force the circumstances of the dream the right way, maybe I
can become that 'magical girl' character I'm working on, and get some idea
for monsters or something.*
Nodoka looked on in wonder from behind Ranma. Maybe she was right
and it was the curse that was affecting Ranma. She had felt the bra
strap, knowing that her son hated wearing those, even if she needed it at
times. Well, maybe it was time to test that theory out, and she had just
the store to visit to do so. If her son refused to have anything to do
with girls, perhaps it was time to see if her daughter had any problems
with...
Sexual Endeavours
Part Two:
What's Good for the Gander...
A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2
Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga, P-chan, Shampoo,
Shan Pu, Mousse, Mu Si, Cologne, Ke Lun, Kuno Tatewaki, Kuno Kodachi,
Tofu-Sensei, and Hinako Sensei are copyright 1987, 2001 by Takahashi
Rumiko.
Publishing rights: Japan by Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong by Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America by Viz Inc.
Written by Ichinohei Hitomi
Akane sat at the table, hardly moving, and wondering what,
exactly, happened at school. It was like an unbelievable dream, a good
one where her fiancé, Ranma, was a smart, brilliant man with a mind that
rivalled others. There was one problem with the dream theory, however.
Akane knew that she had been awake for the surprising show.
No one had mentioned it. They were scared to since it might mean
that they would be brought into this weirdness, but it had obviously
unnerved them. No one was willing to admit to that fear, or try to stop
Ranma if he suddenly turned violent. *That wasn't Ranma. It couldn't
have been Ranma. Ranma would have tried almost anything to sleep in class
or goof off in some manner, not pay attention to the teachers.
That...that person was extremely well prepared, giving speeches, knowing
mathematics far beyond anything we've been thought, and being fluent in
English. Ranma doesn't know English! He hardly knows Japanese, and is
much less fluent in Chinese, which is a hell of a lot closer to our
language. Could that have been an impostor?*
She frowned slightly, still trying to think out everything. *It
started on the way to school, without Shampoo showing up. Next Kuno was
missing, and it's unlikely he would miss a chance to see me or his
'pigtailed girl'. Then Ukyou was nice, not even mentioning the engagement
as she usually does, although at the time I assumed it was because of fear
of the unknown. Ranma then starts acting as if he was a Juku student
instead of his usual 'All I Need To Know Is Martial Arts' attitude. It's
as though someone replaced Ranma with a copy, but a flawed one which
thought too much and is too intelligent. He has to be an impostor, but if
this person is an impostor, where is the real Ranma?*
*Perhaps the better question to ask is who could have replaced
Ranma with this...person.* Akane thought as she began to build a list of
names in her head which included Shampoo, Cologne, Happousai, or any
number of others. Of course, it included Kodachi and excluded Tatewaki,
but then again, Kodachi was the intelligent one.
"I've been hearing weird things about Ranma since after school,
Akane. Want to tell me what it is about, and who the new challenger is?"
Nabiki drawled as she came to sit at the table.
Akane gasped and blinked rapidly. She was so caught up in
thinking of what may have happened that she never noticed her sister come
home. "The person who was in class wasn't Ranma, at least I don't think
so. It had to be an impostor of some kind."
Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "Someone who could impersonate Ranma?
Do you know how unlikely that sounds?"
"I know what it sounds like, Nabiki," Akane continued, "But how
else can you explain Ranma knowing English, Mathematics, giving well
thought out speeches, and not fighting."
Akane's eyes widened, "Not fighting...That person didn't get into
one fight today, he didn't insult me, he didn't even make a wrong,
pigheaded, or condescending comment to anyone all day!"
Nabiki spit out her tea. Ranma, not stick his foot in his mouth
at least once for the entire day? "Akane, that's impossible. Ranma may
be an upstanding young man, but he's a thoughtless, slightly idiotic,
upstanding young man."
"Nabiki, I need you to find out if Ranma has been kidnapped, and
if he has, who did it. If that was Ranma, it wasn't the Ranma we know and
it could just be some passing weirdness. If it wasn't Ranma, then we need
to go rescue him."
Nabiki frowned. It seems some of the rumours were true, at least
of a Ranma that was acting extremely odd from what everyone knew about
him. First his mother wants to know about Ranma's seeming inability to
have a normal male mind concerning sex. Now Akane thinks Ranma is too
kind, considerate, and intelligent to be himself. The next thing she knew
people would be telling her that the big lug had more potential to earn an
income than her! "I'll look into it, for free. If this isn't Ranma, then
my biggest source of income has flown out the window, and I want him
back."
Akane smiled, "Let's see if he's in his room."
"She's not home, Akane." Kasumi said as she came into the room
with some more tea. "She got dressed and went out with her mother for
diner and to go shopping."
Both of Soun's younger daughters boggled at this thought. Ranma,
willing to go shopping with his mother? The man who hated to be in any
store longer than five minutes?
"What was she wearing?" Asked Nabiki slowly.
"Oh, that nice mini-skirt outfit Aunt Nodoka bought for her a
while back. You know the one Akane, it was when you both outgrew your
bra's and had to look for new ones."
Akane gasped upon breathing in tea the wrong way, and looked at
Nabiki, "I don't think I'll be around for supper this evening."
Nabiki nodded slightly, "Neither will I. There is something that I
need to do."
Both girls tried to be casual about it, but as soon as they got to
the street they started running. Ranma, going with his mother dressed as
a girl? It had to be an impostor, or a magical clone, or something. It
might even have been a case of some demon possessing the boy, and they had
to find out.
Kasumi blinked as she picked up the teacups her sisters left
behind, "I hope that wasn't because of something I said."
***
Mousse was grumbling from the roof of the Nekohanten. He had
learned, from observation, that Ranma was not one to annoy past a certain
point. Of course, if he had known what Ranma was able to do, that he was
able to defeat a Pheonix by killing it's body, then he would never have
originally challenged him. Ranma was power incarnate.
He thought back to seeing a human, one who did not have any Divine
Lineage, Dragon Blood, or Pheonix Infusion, take on an immortal who was
considered a God and win. There were other 'Pheonix', the lesser birds
who did not have the powers of rebirth, but for one to take on a being who
could incinerate the planet and win was beyond comprehension. In an
earlier age, Saotome Ranma would have been considered a God, or a
Demi-God, such as Herakles had been.
To have been fighting such power in his pursuit of Shan Pu...
Shuddering would have been too easy to contemplate.
Looking down at the street, he stared, took off his glasses,
cleaned them, put them back on, and stared again.
He was seeing things. He had to have been. Perhaps it was time
to see an eye doctor in this country, get some new glasses or perhaps
those contact lenses he had heard about, if they did not interfere with
his curse. Yes, a new lighter, and much more flattering pair of glasses
would be the best thing he could do for himself, instead of these that
were provided by those Canadian aid workers. Perhaps that way illusions,
such as what he saw below, could be forever banished.
After all, he knew of Genma's 'Man Among Men' promise and what it
would mean, so there was no way that he was seeing Ranma, of all people,
female, dressed as a very modern young girl in a miniskirt, with his
mother, who would more than likely take his head if he appeared that way.
Dropping into the alley behind the Nekohanten, Mousse looked at
the building. *No, not tonight. I can't put up with the usual crap to
prove myself to a woman who has no idea what love really is. Stupid laws.
They're so damned outdated and illogical. Why can't those hidebound old
women become a part of this century. I've got to get away for a while,
anywhere to forget what's been happening. The bar would be the best place
to go for now.*
The young Master of Hidden Weapons left, expecting to spend a few
thousand, perhaps as much as one hundred thousand, yen on a good tasting
liquor, with as high an alcohol content as was possible.
***
Ryouga looked at the sign in front of him, blinked, checked the
GPS unit once more, and sighed.
"Figures," he muttered, depressed. "When I want to find Akari's,
I end up at the Dojo. Even this technological wonder can't help my sense
of direction."
Ryouga opened the gate and went in, deciding that since he was in
the neighbourhood, he might as well stop by and say hello. Maybe Ranma
could help him figure out what was wrong, since he bought the unit.
Perhaps he input the wrong co-ordinates or something, since he and Ranma
had gone around writing down all the places Ryouga considered important,
such as his home, the Dojo, Akari's, and the school. Ryouga confirmed the
co-ordinates himself, so it was the only explanation.
He knocked on the door frame before entering, "Hello, is anyone
home?"
Kasumi came out of the kitchen, "Oh, hello Ryouga-kun, no one is
home at the moment, but if you would like to wait, I can prepare some
tea."
Ryouga smiled. Kasumi was always so nice to everyone, to the
point where people thought that she was absolutely clueless to what
happened around her. Of course, having spent so much time around the
Dojo, he knew differently, "Thank-you Kasumi, I would appreciate that."
While he was waiting, he decided to look at the co-ordinate on the
GPS and compare it to the written co-ordinates he had. The co-ordinates
for Akari's matched, so he looked at the unit, wondering if it could be
broken. Since there was no obvious damage, he tried inputting other
co-ordinates, such as Ukyou's or the Nekohanten. All of them said that he
had arrived.
"The Deities must hate me." Ryouga said as he looked at the unit
which had been his hope of actually getting places. "Either that, or
someone, somewhere, is trying to tell me something."
"What was that Ryouga-kun?"
Ryouga clutched at his chest for a second. Damn she was quiet
when she wanted to be. "Nothing Kasumi, do you know where Ranma went?"
Kasumi smiled pleasantly, "Ranma-chan went out with her mother,
they should be back after their shopping trip, since both of them were
talking about getting some new outfits so she wouldn't be much of a tomboy
anymore."
Ryouga sipped his tea slowly, trying not to panic. His sense of
direction really did it this time, he was in another universe, one without
the GPS satellites in orbit. It was the only explanation for Ranma going
shopping with _HER_ mother in order to become less of a tomboy...
***
If it had been in character, Ranma would have laughed long and
loud at the sight of the store her mother wanted to shop in. Ok, she was
only thinking of putting in something like this, although it was a little
bit perverted, but for her dreams to pursue this. Well, she was used to
unusual dreams, and it may also give her some ideas for the second, hidden
story, not that she would tell the others until it was ready for the final
compile.
Shaking her head a little, and desperately keeping a smile from
her face, Ranma followed her mother into the most unusual store she would
ever go into.
"Ranma-chan, now that you are a young woman, I think it's time we
get you something for when you get married, and to help you out when your
husband ignores you." Nodoka said, a small smile on her lips. If she was
wrong about her daughter, her sons deception would be exposed. Either
way, she would get what she wanted in the end. Grandchildren.
"Mother," Ranma began, "Are you sure we should go in there with so
many people around?"
"Are you afraid of going in Ranma?"
Ok, how to play this, the bold, full of life woman who thinks
nothing of sex, or the shy, demure, girl who her mother would be shocked
if she went in willingly. Well, her character was supposed to be a nice
girl, so..."Well, a little bit. I mean the classes at school were
embarrassing, and to enter so brazenly...It's unseemly for a young woman."
Nodoka blinked, then blinked again. Ranma, her child, admitting
fear? "It will be all right. Besides, it's better than coming in here
with your boyfriend."
Ranma giggled, "I suppose you're right, Mom. I can just imagine
what he'd think of me."
Nodoka was slightly shocked at that admission. *Perhaps I should
think of changing the engagement, if I can find the boy that my daughter
likes. Otherwise, I could just open it up and see which boy...person, can
win my daughters heart. It may not be wise to engage her to the first boy
that catches her eye.*
***
Around the corner from the store, both Akane's and Nabiki's eyes
were wide open in shock. They still couldn't believe what they heard, and
it was obvious that Ranma's mother believed that she was a girl. Still,
Ranma, their Ranma, _HAD_ _A_ _BOYFRIEND_!?!?!
"I want his name Nabiki. I want to know who the pervert is that
is taking advantage of _MY_ Ranma-chan!" Akane growled out. "Forget the
impostor bit, if Ranma is thinking of having a boyfriend, it has to be
some kind of magic potion or something. Like the time Ryouga wanted
Ranma, or perhaps like Kuno's wishing sword. Either way, I _will_ _kill_
the pervert, and you're going to help me!"
Nabiki could only nod, although she didn't really hear what she
was agreeing to. *Masaka! It has to be the curse, or Ranma's father
really screwed up his mind. Given what his father put him through, it's
probably the later. What kind of horror, or hell, did he put his child
through? Could he have molested Ranma in some way to cause this and his
girl form is really part of a separate personality?*
"I'm going to find the pervert. Let's see. The possibilities are
Happousai, Kuno, Ryouga, that damned kissing pervert who skates, the guys
who tried to marry Ranma, or perhaps someone new. I don't care how long
it takes, I'll kill him for trying to take _MY_ Ranma away from me."
Akane continued to grumble, wanting more than anything to see what Ranma
was up to in that sex shop.
Nabiki shook her head to clear it. She had to find out exactly
what was happening, not only for Nodoka's sake, or Ranma's, but for the
peace of Nerima. If this was learned, by anyone, the whole district could
go up in flames as angry fiancés tried to interrogate innocent boys. If
that happened, all bets were off as far as the government was concerned.
If Akane learned of...
Nabiki winced, as she finally heard what Akane was saying.
*Perhaps the best thing to hope for is some damage control...*
***
Ranma looked around, and kept her eyes shinning as though she was
a five year old in a candy store. She had seen most of this stuff before,
hell, thanks to Nabiki's picture sessions, she had more lingerie and
intimate apparel than most girls. The first rack she went to were of some
delicate sets of almost see through intimates, and decided to play her
role to the hilt. "Mom, can I have a few of these?"
"Well, daughter, we'll look those over after we see what's in this
cabinet." Nodoka replied, indicating a display case.
Ranma looked at what was inside and almost lost control. "Those
are...large, Mom. Are they sculptures of some kind?"
"No dear, they are meant to be used by a girl when her husband is
away."
Ranma looked again, "Are you sure? I mean, the size of those, I
don't think they'd fit."
Nodoka's eyebrows raised. Admittedly she pointed out devices that
were very large, but for her daughter to even indicate that they were too
large told her that she was no longer a virgin. She'd definitely have to
look for the boy Ranma wanted to marry, "Well, our bodies can accommodate
more than you would think daughter. How about I choose one for you to use
whenever you are feeling a bit needy?"
"Ok," Ranma replied, indicating the rear of the store. "I want to
see what's back there."
Curious herself, Nodoka followed her daughter, and saw what was in
back. Well, if her daughter was a lady, she wouldn't want any of this.
In fact, it would limit the number of men that her daughter could find as
a mate.
Ranma looked on at all of the leather armour hanging on the walls.
Chest plates, skirts, face masks, just what a magical girl needed. In
fact, she could use this as a place where magical girls went to get their
uniforms and costumes made! "Mom, can I get some of this?"
Nodoka almost fainted at hearing those words. "O..of course, dear.
We just need to make sure they fit correctly."
Ranma wasted little time in cornering a salesperson, and striping
down to her panties and bra in order to get a custom made set of armour.
Looking around, she began to get some ideas of what she wanted, such as
that one piece bit of armour that would be something like a swimsuit, the
boots would be a nice addition, but without those thin, high heels, maybe
some lower, wider heels, and a wider area for her toes, and a split
leather skirt would be good. Soon, she was in full discussion with the
sales person about what she wanted, and the possibilities involved, such
as gloves, mask, whips, chains, etc.
Nodoka just stood there, until she decided to head back to the
outer section of the store, going towards the magazine racks. *Books. I
need books and information on this...lifestyle my daughter has chosen.
Maybe then I can figure out which one of the boys she knows likes her like
this, and I can set a meeting with his parents. To imagine, my daughter
likes to control men like that! At least this way she won't make the same
mistakes I did with Genma.*
***
Ukyou was worried. Not that was anything new, considering she ran
her own business, went to school, participated in various adventures, and
was beginning to get an idea of what life could be like when she married
Ranma. Then again, she wasn't usually worried about the man she loved,
since he was so buff, and tight, and looked so...
She faded off into a small fantasy, one that had become more
frequent in the past few weeks. While she had originally been fantasizing
about Ranma as a husband, taking care of the children as she made money,
or less often, sharing the lifestyle of a travelling chef, recent events
had her thinking along the lines of how he'd be in bed, or if Ranma's girl
form would scream when...extremely excited. While Ukyou did think of
Ranma as a boy, some of the time, she had easily recognized that being
legally male, and Ranma's penchant for water, that having a wife would
actually be a good thing. And it provided so many wonderful and
entertaining possibilities as well.
Shaking off her thoughts, at least on how well she could satisfy
her eventual wife in bed, Ukyou started to think about what happened at
school. While Ranma was her friend, and hopefully, her life mate, the
life he led was stranger than most in Japan could ever hope to match, and
what happened today was, to her, an indicator that Ranma was just about
ready to leave Nerima, possibly for good. Being the only one who actually
listened to Ranma most of the time, barring her fits of jealousy, she
already knew Ranma was hiding a lot.
Like most, she had assumed that Ranma was hiding his fighting
prowess, and using all of the battles with Happousai, Cologne, Kuno,
Ryouga, and the rest as a way of improving his martial arts. Then again,
Ranma's mind was like a high end government computer, dedicated only to
battle. She had probably been the only one in English to notice that
Ranma had given a definition that was not in their standard translation
dictionary, and it wasn't until computer class that she managed to read
the definition in the rear of the programming manual. Ranma wasn't really
hiding his abilities in battle, although that seemed to be a good excuse,
he was hiding his abilities in being a very good student.
Thinking about it a lot, it made more sense than most people would
imagine.
First, Ranma's life with his father hardly concentrated on
academics, especially with his travelling all the time. English, being
recognized as one of the International languages important to know, he
would naturally have picked it up. Passing grades in English would be
impossible, unless he was hiding how good he was, and being able to read
in many languages would be an asset, especially since many of the more
unusual techniques were written in various languages, including codes that
were designed only for use by people who knew that school of the art.
This being the case, Ranma would be very familiar with cryptography, and
cryptographic notation, and thus mathematics. To understand situations no
matter where he travelled in the world, a good understanding of geography
and sociology would be required. For people not to have realized that
Ranma would have been held back by several grades if he wasn't very
intelligent meant he had done a significant amount of acting, and knew
people better than anyone else would believe. *But why keep the
engagements up in the air?"
Thinking about that for a little while, she realized that Ranma
was keeping the engagements floating for two good reasons. The first
being honour, not his honour, but everyone else's. If he chose a fiancé
out of the many people after him, then Ranma would be ruining the honour
of others. She remembered Ranma telling her about how the famous 'eating'
competition had happened, and what it had meant for others.
The second reason she could figure out was because he was not
ready to get married yet.
Ranma did not go out on dates, in fact he avoided them, trying not
to hurt others feelings. The only times she knew of that Ranma had agreed
to dating had been because someone had dangled a possible 'cure' in front
of his face. However, it made little sense since Ranma used his female
form just as often as his male form, and was also comfortable with it.
Most of the time, he seemed to be looking for cure for the others than for
himself.
*If Ranma is ready to go somewhere else, the best thing I can do
is talk to Aunt Saotome, and ask her to send Ranma, as a girl, to a
private school where she can become a scientist or teacher. Hell, Ranma
could probably pass the Juken easily at the moment, so it would probably
be a matter of polishing her skills at a good private school. A good
private _boarding_ school, with me being her room mate. That way, I can
get her to relax a bit, not have to push the engagement so much, and
eventually seduce my future wife! It's the perfect plan!*
***
Nodoka paid for everything that Ranma wanted, from the barely
there sleep wear, to the leather outfits which would have to be picked up
at a later date. She had also included several items for her daughter
that she had also picked up, such as what they were looking at before, and
several books for herself. From what she had already read, it could be
any number of the boys that she knew of. *That Tatewaki boy seems to be a
likely candidate since he likes to be hurt by Ranma, thinking it's her way
of showing love. Then again, Ryouga-kun is also a likely possibility,
since he does like fighting Ranma a lot, and that he also tried to get her
by magic. Mu Si could also be a possibility because of his culture, and
the fact that he loses so often, although Ukyou-chan's waitress may be a
possibility because she enjoys being a very submissive young lady instead
of a boy. And it may be someone I don't know about.*
"Mom, are you ok?" Ranma asked, as she looked at her mother.
"Yes, Ranma-chan. Why do you ask?" Nodoka replied while looking
at her daughter with new understanding.
"Because you looked spaced out for a moment." Ranma said. "Is
there something wrong?"
"No dear, I was just thinking about how you would look in your new
leather outfit."
"Yeah! It's great isn't it?" Ranma exclaimed enthusiastically as
she started towards the door. "Who would have guessed they dressed people
in those costumes? Now I know where to get what ever I want when I need
to fight anybody!"
Nodoka almost fell on her face at that statement. *I'm going to
have to make sure I find that boy who took my baby's virginity, and have
him marry her, or open up the competition to anyone who can get her to the
alter. I am _not_ going to have a daughter that wants to greet every
person she meets in _that_ outfit, especially in public. It's already bad
enough that she had a specific idea of what she wanted, Ranma will not be
a girl of loose morals!*
***
Akane glared as she watched Ranma leave the store, several bags in
her hand, as well as those bags in Aunt Nodoka's hand. She already knew
that Ranma's mother was a bit of a pervert, especially with her trying to
get Ranma to 'peek' into girls windows. For her to have brought Ranma
here, was just more proof that she needed to get him out of her hands.
*After I find that pervert who's trying to steal Ranma, I am making _sure_
we move and Aunt Nodoka is far away from us. A private boarding school
will do, and then I can show Ranma how a person shows love, in the
_proper_ way. I will _not_ have _my_ fiancé lusting after boys!*
"Akane, calm down and think for a little while. You can't just go
around trying to kill every boy you meet. We have to be cautious and
careful, and then get the boy and talk to him. It will be a lot worse if
you just go off and try to kill him for something that he probably has no
idea about." Nabiki stated while laying a hand on her sisters shoulder.
"Ranma could just have had a hard knock to the head, or it could be
her...his way of coping with the curse."
Akane grunted, and tried to think rationally about it. "You're
right Nabiki, I'll keep my cool, and since you know more about being
sneaky, I'll let you find the pervert. Just let me know who it is, and
help me come up with a way to keep Ranma for myself."
It was the best she could hope for, for now. "I promise little
sister. I will find the boy Ranma's been seeing, and I will tell you who
he is."
Akane however, was thinking a little bit differently. She had
promised not to go after the perverts who could be the ones after Ranma,
but she did not promise not to tell Shampoo and Ukyou. Nor did she
promise not to tell Kodachi, if she could convince her that 'the pig
tailed girl' and Ranma were one and the same. *If I can't confront the
pervert, and beat him up, I'm sure the others would only be too glad to do
so. They may be competition, but they are the _proper_ competition,
unlike any of those pervert boys!*
"Let's go home Akane, I don't think it would be a good idea to be
following her like this, she may get suspicious." Nabiki said while
sighing in relief. With Akane agreeing to let her handle the situation,
things were not as desperate as they might get. She was not willing to
see Nerima's death toll take a sudden sharp climb while her little sister
'investigated' matters herself.
***
In a nearby mansion, a phone rang, and the man sitting at the desk
answered it. When he heard what his informant told him, he knew that, at
least for the next few weeks, his actions and those who were closest to
him, had to change. In a way, the call was not unexpected, given the
confusion in Nerima, but he had hoped his hobbies would last a little
while longer. Pressing a button, he turned to the revealed monitors along
one wall, and searched for the various occupants of the estate. Finding
the people he wanted, he summoned them to his office, despite their
protests.
Yes, someone was out there, dangerous to him and the people he
knew. He did have his suspicions, especially given the way people were
talking. However, now was not the time for what could easily be handled
later. He had time, and that was to his advantage.
***
Ryouga was still smiling, and drinking more tea. Tempting as it
was to run away, as far away as he could get, he knew he couldn't risk it.
If he had, somehow, ended up in another world, then this place was the
only possibility of getting home. Given that, he was unsurprised as Ranma
walked in, looking very pretty. He was not, however, prepared for what
was about to happen.
"Ryouga-kun! You're back! Where were you? Have you eaten? Any
new adventures to talk about?" Ranma exclaimed cutely and
enthusiastically.
Ryouga laughed a bit nervously, "Hi Ranma-chan. You're as bubbly
as ever."
Ranma was having fun with this dream. Ryouga being a friend,
without their usual sparing was something that could be said to have never
happened. Now, how to make this really fun. "At least you're back in
time for our date tomorrow!"
Nodoka raised an eyebrow at this, and narrowed her eyes at the
boy. *Is he the one?*
Ryouga laughed a little more nervously. Kami! In this world he
was Ranma's boyfriend, and from the look Nodoka was giving him, one who
still had to prove himself! "Well, I did try to make it back as fast as
possible, Ranma-chan."
Giggling, more as a way of stopping herself from bursting out
laughing, Ranma gestured to her bags, "I was just shopping, and I've got
to show you what we bought. Wait until you see them on me!"
At this point Nodoka stepped in. Ryouga was definitely suspect in
having sex with her daughter. "Perhaps after your date tomorrow dear.
Right now, I need to talk with Ryouga for a little while. Go and put away
your new clothes and items, and I'll talk with you later."
"Ok, mom." Well, at least her subconscious wasn't being that
perverted. Her mother stepped in at exactly the right time to prevent
everything becoming x-rated.
Ryouga nervously watched Ranma leave the room, and then gulped at
the contained fury on Nodoka's face. "Ehhhh, what do you want to talk
about, Saotome-sama?"
"Walk with me for a while, young man. I believe we have much to
discuss." Nodoka said coldly.
Gulping, Ryouga followed Nodoka out of the house, and hoped that
she was not going to take his life. What kind of cad was the Ryouga of
this universe?
"Ryouga-kun, I need to know if you love my daughter." Nodoka
stated, as they walked out of the gate.
"I...Well...She is a good friend, and I do enjoy being with her.
I'm just not sure we're ready for marriage as of yet," he stated
nervously, "We're still in school, and well, I need to find out if I can
take care of her properly."
Nodoka nodded, it seemed the boy was honourable enough, and was
looking towards the future. "So, will I have to search for you, or will
my daughter be disappointed when you fail to show up _again_."
Ryouga gulped hard. This was not going the way he wanted, and he
was definitely not enjoying this confrontation. His counterpart sounded
like he had disappointed his girlfriend several times, and her mother was
getting tired of it. In a way, it was a not so subtle warning that if her
daughter was not satisfied in every way possible, then he would face her
wrath, probably at the end of her katana. If this is what the Genma in
his universe had to face, then it was no wonder he took off with Ranma for
over ten years. She was scary! "Ahhh...I was thinking of staying at the
dojo for the night, that way I can be ready. The problem is I don't
really have a formal outfit to wear in order to take her out tomorrow."
"Well, we'll just have to solve that problem. Of course, I'll
expect you to take her out to a nice place for dinner, and to show her a
good time. Just not _TOO_ good a time." Nodoka stated, looking the boy
in the eye. "When we get back, you are _going_ to be on your best
behaviour, is that clear Ryouga-kun?"
Ryouga gulped again. Ok, not in every way possible. Then again,
avoiding the possibility of having sex with Ranma was fine with him, even
if this Ranma was a girl and sexually active with his counterpart, which
was likely given the stare he was getting. "Perfectly, Saotome-sama."
***
*Oh shit!* Nabiki thought to herself, as she looked at Akane who
was glowing with a very bright aura. *If Ryouga is dating Ranma, he'll be
killed if Akane gets a hold of him.*
*I'll kill him. I'll make him sorry he ever came here. He'll
look nice skinned, and after I make sure that he painfully loses what all
perverts seem to think with. To think that I thought Ryouga was a nice
guy, but it seems he _still_ hasn't given up on getting Ranma for
himself.* The youngest Tendo seethed.
"Calm down Akane, you know how things tend to get blown out of
proportion around here. With how Aunt Saotome was reacting, it's possible
she just jumped to conclusions and trapped him into it. After all, when
has he ever gone after a girl without having a major case of nerves!"
Nabiki said nervously, not willing to see the damage the eventual fight
would cause. "I'll find out for sure, just keep calm.
"I'll keep calm, Nabiki," Akane stated, letting her aura flare
out. *But as soon as I tell the others, it will be open season on Hibiki,
and he's going to wish that he never tried to get Ranma by Magic, just
like last time. The best part is, there is no way this can be blamed on
me when the others kill him.*
To Be Continued...
left the house.
Nodoka smiled, and then decided to tease her son a bit. "I thought
we'd go downtown and have dinner, and then do some shopping. You have
enough boys' clothing for now, and I would like to see my daughter dressed
in something better, and acting less like a tomboy."
*Yep, my subconscious is really acting up. No way would Mom smile
like that and say that I'm her daughter. Guess I must be feeling guilty
over the way I treated Mom when I was Ranko, and the fact that I ended up
'stealing' the daughter she never had when I finally revealed myself to
her. Well, might as well play along. If I remember this, it may make a
good scenario for our role-playing games.* Ranma thought to himself. "Can
you give me a few minutes then, Mom? I need to go and change."
Nodoka blinked at that, especially when Ranma rushed back in the
house. Ranma was definitely not acting like himself. She had at least
expected some kind of denials that he wasn't her daughter, not her son
rushing back in the house to get changed. Of course, it could be that he
was tired of denying that he was a girl every day, or he could be doing
something to test her resolve. How could Ranma test her by changing into
nicer clothing was the thought she had.
When Ranma came back down wearing an outfit that Nodoka thought
she'd never see on him again, she was shocked. Ranma's hair was down from
the pigtail, and redone into a nice ponytail, a small hat on her head,
black leggings, mini-skirt, blouse, and vest. She was carrying a small
purse, and got a small bottle of water out of the refrigerator. "I'm
ready to go, Mom. Hope we can get more outfits like this one."
Nodoka blinked slowly and decided to play along. Laying her hand
across the girls' shoulder she said, "Of course, daughter. That's much
better than what you were wearing before, and I'm glad that you are
dropping the tomboy look. It's definitely time you grew up."
Ranma smiled as she led the way out of the house, *Well, if I had
any doubts before, this ruins them. Mom wanting me as a daughter is
crazy, and since she seems to want me as one, might as well have fun with
it. If I can force the circumstances of the dream the right way, maybe I
can become that 'magical girl' character I'm working on, and get some idea
for monsters or something.*
Nodoka looked on in wonder from behind Ranma. Maybe she was right
and it was the curse that was affecting Ranma. She had felt the bra
strap, knowing that her son hated wearing those, even if she needed it at
times. Well, maybe it was time to test that theory out, and she had just
the store to visit to do so. If her son refused to have anything to do
with girls, perhaps it was time to see if her daughter had any problems
with...
Sexual Endeavours
Part Two:
What's Good for the Gander...
A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2
Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga, P-chan, Shampoo,
Shan Pu, Mousse, Mu Si, Cologne, Ke Lun, Kuno Tatewaki, Kuno Kodachi,
Tofu-Sensei, and Hinako Sensei are copyright 1987, 2001 by Takahashi
Rumiko.
Publishing rights: Japan by Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong by Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America by Viz Inc.
Written by Ichinohei Hitomi
Akane sat at the table, hardly moving, and wondering what,
exactly, happened at school. It was like an unbelievable dream, a good
one where her fiancé, Ranma, was a smart, brilliant man with a mind that
rivalled others. There was one problem with the dream theory, however.
Akane knew that she had been awake for the surprising show.
No one had mentioned it. They were scared to since it might mean
that they would be brought into this weirdness, but it had obviously
unnerved them. No one was willing to admit to that fear, or try to stop
Ranma if he suddenly turned violent. *That wasn't Ranma. It couldn't
have been Ranma. Ranma would have tried almost anything to sleep in class
or goof off in some manner, not pay attention to the teachers.
That...that person was extremely well prepared, giving speeches, knowing
mathematics far beyond anything we've been thought, and being fluent in
English. Ranma doesn't know English! He hardly knows Japanese, and is
much less fluent in Chinese, which is a hell of a lot closer to our
language. Could that have been an impostor?*
She frowned slightly, still trying to think out everything. *It
started on the way to school, without Shampoo showing up. Next Kuno was
missing, and it's unlikely he would miss a chance to see me or his
'pigtailed girl'. Then Ukyou was nice, not even mentioning the engagement
as she usually does, although at the time I assumed it was because of fear
of the unknown. Ranma then starts acting as if he was a Juku student
instead of his usual 'All I Need To Know Is Martial Arts' attitude. It's
as though someone replaced Ranma with a copy, but a flawed one which
thought too much and is too intelligent. He has to be an impostor, but if
this person is an impostor, where is the real Ranma?*
*Perhaps the better question to ask is who could have replaced
Ranma with this...person.* Akane thought as she began to build a list of
names in her head which included Shampoo, Cologne, Happousai, or any
number of others. Of course, it included Kodachi and excluded Tatewaki,
but then again, Kodachi was the intelligent one.
"I've been hearing weird things about Ranma since after school,
Akane. Want to tell me what it is about, and who the new challenger is?"
Nabiki drawled as she came to sit at the table.
Akane gasped and blinked rapidly. She was so caught up in
thinking of what may have happened that she never noticed her sister come
home. "The person who was in class wasn't Ranma, at least I don't think
so. It had to be an impostor of some kind."
Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "Someone who could impersonate Ranma?
Do you know how unlikely that sounds?"
"I know what it sounds like, Nabiki," Akane continued, "But how
else can you explain Ranma knowing English, Mathematics, giving well
thought out speeches, and not fighting."
Akane's eyes widened, "Not fighting...That person didn't get into
one fight today, he didn't insult me, he didn't even make a wrong,
pigheaded, or condescending comment to anyone all day!"
Nabiki spit out her tea. Ranma, not stick his foot in his mouth
at least once for the entire day? "Akane, that's impossible. Ranma may
be an upstanding young man, but he's a thoughtless, slightly idiotic,
upstanding young man."
"Nabiki, I need you to find out if Ranma has been kidnapped, and
if he has, who did it. If that was Ranma, it wasn't the Ranma we know and
it could just be some passing weirdness. If it wasn't Ranma, then we need
to go rescue him."
Nabiki frowned. It seems some of the rumours were true, at least
of a Ranma that was acting extremely odd from what everyone knew about
him. First his mother wants to know about Ranma's seeming inability to
have a normal male mind concerning sex. Now Akane thinks Ranma is too
kind, considerate, and intelligent to be himself. The next thing she knew
people would be telling her that the big lug had more potential to earn an
income than her! "I'll look into it, for free. If this isn't Ranma, then
my biggest source of income has flown out the window, and I want him
back."
Akane smiled, "Let's see if he's in his room."
"She's not home, Akane." Kasumi said as she came into the room
with some more tea. "She got dressed and went out with her mother for
diner and to go shopping."
Both of Soun's younger daughters boggled at this thought. Ranma,
willing to go shopping with his mother? The man who hated to be in any
store longer than five minutes?
"What was she wearing?" Asked Nabiki slowly.
"Oh, that nice mini-skirt outfit Aunt Nodoka bought for her a
while back. You know the one Akane, it was when you both outgrew your
bra's and had to look for new ones."
Akane gasped upon breathing in tea the wrong way, and looked at
Nabiki, "I don't think I'll be around for supper this evening."
Nabiki nodded slightly, "Neither will I. There is something that I
need to do."
Both girls tried to be casual about it, but as soon as they got to
the street they started running. Ranma, going with his mother dressed as
a girl? It had to be an impostor, or a magical clone, or something. It
might even have been a case of some demon possessing the boy, and they had
to find out.
Kasumi blinked as she picked up the teacups her sisters left
behind, "I hope that wasn't because of something I said."
***
Mousse was grumbling from the roof of the Nekohanten. He had
learned, from observation, that Ranma was not one to annoy past a certain
point. Of course, if he had known what Ranma was able to do, that he was
able to defeat a Pheonix by killing it's body, then he would never have
originally challenged him. Ranma was power incarnate.
He thought back to seeing a human, one who did not have any Divine
Lineage, Dragon Blood, or Pheonix Infusion, take on an immortal who was
considered a God and win. There were other 'Pheonix', the lesser birds
who did not have the powers of rebirth, but for one to take on a being who
could incinerate the planet and win was beyond comprehension. In an
earlier age, Saotome Ranma would have been considered a God, or a
Demi-God, such as Herakles had been.
To have been fighting such power in his pursuit of Shan Pu...
Shuddering would have been too easy to contemplate.
Looking down at the street, he stared, took off his glasses,
cleaned them, put them back on, and stared again.
He was seeing things. He had to have been. Perhaps it was time
to see an eye doctor in this country, get some new glasses or perhaps
those contact lenses he had heard about, if they did not interfere with
his curse. Yes, a new lighter, and much more flattering pair of glasses
would be the best thing he could do for himself, instead of these that
were provided by those Canadian aid workers. Perhaps that way illusions,
such as what he saw below, could be forever banished.
After all, he knew of Genma's 'Man Among Men' promise and what it
would mean, so there was no way that he was seeing Ranma, of all people,
female, dressed as a very modern young girl in a miniskirt, with his
mother, who would more than likely take his head if he appeared that way.
Dropping into the alley behind the Nekohanten, Mousse looked at
the building. *No, not tonight. I can't put up with the usual crap to
prove myself to a woman who has no idea what love really is. Stupid laws.
They're so damned outdated and illogical. Why can't those hidebound old
women become a part of this century. I've got to get away for a while,
anywhere to forget what's been happening. The bar would be the best place
to go for now.*
The young Master of Hidden Weapons left, expecting to spend a few
thousand, perhaps as much as one hundred thousand, yen on a good tasting
liquor, with as high an alcohol content as was possible.
***
Ryouga looked at the sign in front of him, blinked, checked the
GPS unit once more, and sighed.
"Figures," he muttered, depressed. "When I want to find Akari's,
I end up at the Dojo. Even this technological wonder can't help my sense
of direction."
Ryouga opened the gate and went in, deciding that since he was in
the neighbourhood, he might as well stop by and say hello. Maybe Ranma
could help him figure out what was wrong, since he bought the unit.
Perhaps he input the wrong co-ordinates or something, since he and Ranma
had gone around writing down all the places Ryouga considered important,
such as his home, the Dojo, Akari's, and the school. Ryouga confirmed the
co-ordinates himself, so it was the only explanation.
He knocked on the door frame before entering, "Hello, is anyone
home?"
Kasumi came out of the kitchen, "Oh, hello Ryouga-kun, no one is
home at the moment, but if you would like to wait, I can prepare some
tea."
Ryouga smiled. Kasumi was always so nice to everyone, to the
point where people thought that she was absolutely clueless to what
happened around her. Of course, having spent so much time around the
Dojo, he knew differently, "Thank-you Kasumi, I would appreciate that."
While he was waiting, he decided to look at the co-ordinate on the
GPS and compare it to the written co-ordinates he had. The co-ordinates
for Akari's matched, so he looked at the unit, wondering if it could be
broken. Since there was no obvious damage, he tried inputting other
co-ordinates, such as Ukyou's or the Nekohanten. All of them said that he
had arrived.
"The Deities must hate me." Ryouga said as he looked at the unit
which had been his hope of actually getting places. "Either that, or
someone, somewhere, is trying to tell me something."
"What was that Ryouga-kun?"
Ryouga clutched at his chest for a second. Damn she was quiet
when she wanted to be. "Nothing Kasumi, do you know where Ranma went?"
Kasumi smiled pleasantly, "Ranma-chan went out with her mother,
they should be back after their shopping trip, since both of them were
talking about getting some new outfits so she wouldn't be much of a tomboy
anymore."
Ryouga sipped his tea slowly, trying not to panic. His sense of
direction really did it this time, he was in another universe, one without
the GPS satellites in orbit. It was the only explanation for Ranma going
shopping with _HER_ mother in order to become less of a tomboy...
***
If it had been in character, Ranma would have laughed long and
loud at the sight of the store her mother wanted to shop in. Ok, she was
only thinking of putting in something like this, although it was a little
bit perverted, but for her dreams to pursue this. Well, she was used to
unusual dreams, and it may also give her some ideas for the second, hidden
story, not that she would tell the others until it was ready for the final
compile.
Shaking her head a little, and desperately keeping a smile from
her face, Ranma followed her mother into the most unusual store she would
ever go into.
"Ranma-chan, now that you are a young woman, I think it's time we
get you something for when you get married, and to help you out when your
husband ignores you." Nodoka said, a small smile on her lips. If she was
wrong about her daughter, her sons deception would be exposed. Either
way, she would get what she wanted in the end. Grandchildren.
"Mother," Ranma began, "Are you sure we should go in there with so
many people around?"
"Are you afraid of going in Ranma?"
Ok, how to play this, the bold, full of life woman who thinks
nothing of sex, or the shy, demure, girl who her mother would be shocked
if she went in willingly. Well, her character was supposed to be a nice
girl, so..."Well, a little bit. I mean the classes at school were
embarrassing, and to enter so brazenly...It's unseemly for a young woman."
Nodoka blinked, then blinked again. Ranma, her child, admitting
fear? "It will be all right. Besides, it's better than coming in here
with your boyfriend."
Ranma giggled, "I suppose you're right, Mom. I can just imagine
what he'd think of me."
Nodoka was slightly shocked at that admission. *Perhaps I should
think of changing the engagement, if I can find the boy that my daughter
likes. Otherwise, I could just open it up and see which boy...person, can
win my daughters heart. It may not be wise to engage her to the first boy
that catches her eye.*
***
Around the corner from the store, both Akane's and Nabiki's eyes
were wide open in shock. They still couldn't believe what they heard, and
it was obvious that Ranma's mother believed that she was a girl. Still,
Ranma, their Ranma, _HAD_ _A_ _BOYFRIEND_!?!?!
"I want his name Nabiki. I want to know who the pervert is that
is taking advantage of _MY_ Ranma-chan!" Akane growled out. "Forget the
impostor bit, if Ranma is thinking of having a boyfriend, it has to be
some kind of magic potion or something. Like the time Ryouga wanted
Ranma, or perhaps like Kuno's wishing sword. Either way, I _will_ _kill_
the pervert, and you're going to help me!"
Nabiki could only nod, although she didn't really hear what she
was agreeing to. *Masaka! It has to be the curse, or Ranma's father
really screwed up his mind. Given what his father put him through, it's
probably the later. What kind of horror, or hell, did he put his child
through? Could he have molested Ranma in some way to cause this and his
girl form is really part of a separate personality?*
"I'm going to find the pervert. Let's see. The possibilities are
Happousai, Kuno, Ryouga, that damned kissing pervert who skates, the guys
who tried to marry Ranma, or perhaps someone new. I don't care how long
it takes, I'll kill him for trying to take _MY_ Ranma away from me."
Akane continued to grumble, wanting more than anything to see what Ranma
was up to in that sex shop.
Nabiki shook her head to clear it. She had to find out exactly
what was happening, not only for Nodoka's sake, or Ranma's, but for the
peace of Nerima. If this was learned, by anyone, the whole district could
go up in flames as angry fiancés tried to interrogate innocent boys. If
that happened, all bets were off as far as the government was concerned.
If Akane learned of...
Nabiki winced, as she finally heard what Akane was saying.
*Perhaps the best thing to hope for is some damage control...*
***
Ranma looked around, and kept her eyes shinning as though she was
a five year old in a candy store. She had seen most of this stuff before,
hell, thanks to Nabiki's picture sessions, she had more lingerie and
intimate apparel than most girls. The first rack she went to were of some
delicate sets of almost see through intimates, and decided to play her
role to the hilt. "Mom, can I have a few of these?"
"Well, daughter, we'll look those over after we see what's in this
cabinet." Nodoka replied, indicating a display case.
Ranma looked at what was inside and almost lost control. "Those
are...large, Mom. Are they sculptures of some kind?"
"No dear, they are meant to be used by a girl when her husband is
away."
Ranma looked again, "Are you sure? I mean, the size of those, I
don't think they'd fit."
Nodoka's eyebrows raised. Admittedly she pointed out devices that
were very large, but for her daughter to even indicate that they were too
large told her that she was no longer a virgin. She'd definitely have to
look for the boy Ranma wanted to marry, "Well, our bodies can accommodate
more than you would think daughter. How about I choose one for you to use
whenever you are feeling a bit needy?"
"Ok," Ranma replied, indicating the rear of the store. "I want to
see what's back there."
Curious herself, Nodoka followed her daughter, and saw what was in
back. Well, if her daughter was a lady, she wouldn't want any of this.
In fact, it would limit the number of men that her daughter could find as
a mate.
Ranma looked on at all of the leather armour hanging on the walls.
Chest plates, skirts, face masks, just what a magical girl needed. In
fact, she could use this as a place where magical girls went to get their
uniforms and costumes made! "Mom, can I get some of this?"
Nodoka almost fainted at hearing those words. "O..of course, dear.
We just need to make sure they fit correctly."
Ranma wasted little time in cornering a salesperson, and striping
down to her panties and bra in order to get a custom made set of armour.
Looking around, she began to get some ideas of what she wanted, such as
that one piece bit of armour that would be something like a swimsuit, the
boots would be a nice addition, but without those thin, high heels, maybe
some lower, wider heels, and a wider area for her toes, and a split
leather skirt would be good. Soon, she was in full discussion with the
sales person about what she wanted, and the possibilities involved, such
as gloves, mask, whips, chains, etc.
Nodoka just stood there, until she decided to head back to the
outer section of the store, going towards the magazine racks. *Books. I
need books and information on this...lifestyle my daughter has chosen.
Maybe then I can figure out which one of the boys she knows likes her like
this, and I can set a meeting with his parents. To imagine, my daughter
likes to control men like that! At least this way she won't make the same
mistakes I did with Genma.*
***
Ukyou was worried. Not that was anything new, considering she ran
her own business, went to school, participated in various adventures, and
was beginning to get an idea of what life could be like when she married
Ranma. Then again, she wasn't usually worried about the man she loved,
since he was so buff, and tight, and looked so...
She faded off into a small fantasy, one that had become more
frequent in the past few weeks. While she had originally been fantasizing
about Ranma as a husband, taking care of the children as she made money,
or less often, sharing the lifestyle of a travelling chef, recent events
had her thinking along the lines of how he'd be in bed, or if Ranma's girl
form would scream when...extremely excited. While Ukyou did think of
Ranma as a boy, some of the time, she had easily recognized that being
legally male, and Ranma's penchant for water, that having a wife would
actually be a good thing. And it provided so many wonderful and
entertaining possibilities as well.
Shaking off her thoughts, at least on how well she could satisfy
her eventual wife in bed, Ukyou started to think about what happened at
school. While Ranma was her friend, and hopefully, her life mate, the
life he led was stranger than most in Japan could ever hope to match, and
what happened today was, to her, an indicator that Ranma was just about
ready to leave Nerima, possibly for good. Being the only one who actually
listened to Ranma most of the time, barring her fits of jealousy, she
already knew Ranma was hiding a lot.
Like most, she had assumed that Ranma was hiding his fighting
prowess, and using all of the battles with Happousai, Cologne, Kuno,
Ryouga, and the rest as a way of improving his martial arts. Then again,
Ranma's mind was like a high end government computer, dedicated only to
battle. She had probably been the only one in English to notice that
Ranma had given a definition that was not in their standard translation
dictionary, and it wasn't until computer class that she managed to read
the definition in the rear of the programming manual. Ranma wasn't really
hiding his abilities in battle, although that seemed to be a good excuse,
he was hiding his abilities in being a very good student.
Thinking about it a lot, it made more sense than most people would
imagine.
First, Ranma's life with his father hardly concentrated on
academics, especially with his travelling all the time. English, being
recognized as one of the International languages important to know, he
would naturally have picked it up. Passing grades in English would be
impossible, unless he was hiding how good he was, and being able to read
in many languages would be an asset, especially since many of the more
unusual techniques were written in various languages, including codes that
were designed only for use by people who knew that school of the art.
This being the case, Ranma would be very familiar with cryptography, and
cryptographic notation, and thus mathematics. To understand situations no
matter where he travelled in the world, a good understanding of geography
and sociology would be required. For people not to have realized that
Ranma would have been held back by several grades if he wasn't very
intelligent meant he had done a significant amount of acting, and knew
people better than anyone else would believe. *But why keep the
engagements up in the air?"
Thinking about that for a little while, she realized that Ranma
was keeping the engagements floating for two good reasons. The first
being honour, not his honour, but everyone else's. If he chose a fiancé
out of the many people after him, then Ranma would be ruining the honour
of others. She remembered Ranma telling her about how the famous 'eating'
competition had happened, and what it had meant for others.
The second reason she could figure out was because he was not
ready to get married yet.
Ranma did not go out on dates, in fact he avoided them, trying not
to hurt others feelings. The only times she knew of that Ranma had agreed
to dating had been because someone had dangled a possible 'cure' in front
of his face. However, it made little sense since Ranma used his female
form just as often as his male form, and was also comfortable with it.
Most of the time, he seemed to be looking for cure for the others than for
himself.
*If Ranma is ready to go somewhere else, the best thing I can do
is talk to Aunt Saotome, and ask her to send Ranma, as a girl, to a
private school where she can become a scientist or teacher. Hell, Ranma
could probably pass the Juken easily at the moment, so it would probably
be a matter of polishing her skills at a good private school. A good
private _boarding_ school, with me being her room mate. That way, I can
get her to relax a bit, not have to push the engagement so much, and
eventually seduce my future wife! It's the perfect plan!*
***
Nodoka paid for everything that Ranma wanted, from the barely
there sleep wear, to the leather outfits which would have to be picked up
at a later date. She had also included several items for her daughter
that she had also picked up, such as what they were looking at before, and
several books for herself. From what she had already read, it could be
any number of the boys that she knew of. *That Tatewaki boy seems to be a
likely candidate since he likes to be hurt by Ranma, thinking it's her way
of showing love. Then again, Ryouga-kun is also a likely possibility,
since he does like fighting Ranma a lot, and that he also tried to get her
by magic. Mu Si could also be a possibility because of his culture, and
the fact that he loses so often, although Ukyou-chan's waitress may be a
possibility because she enjoys being a very submissive young lady instead
of a boy. And it may be someone I don't know about.*
"Mom, are you ok?" Ranma asked, as she looked at her mother.
"Yes, Ranma-chan. Why do you ask?" Nodoka replied while looking
at her daughter with new understanding.
"Because you looked spaced out for a moment." Ranma said. "Is
there something wrong?"
"No dear, I was just thinking about how you would look in your new
leather outfit."
"Yeah! It's great isn't it?" Ranma exclaimed enthusiastically as
she started towards the door. "Who would have guessed they dressed people
in those costumes? Now I know where to get what ever I want when I need
to fight anybody!"
Nodoka almost fell on her face at that statement. *I'm going to
have to make sure I find that boy who took my baby's virginity, and have
him marry her, or open up the competition to anyone who can get her to the
alter. I am _not_ going to have a daughter that wants to greet every
person she meets in _that_ outfit, especially in public. It's already bad
enough that she had a specific idea of what she wanted, Ranma will not be
a girl of loose morals!*
***
Akane glared as she watched Ranma leave the store, several bags in
her hand, as well as those bags in Aunt Nodoka's hand. She already knew
that Ranma's mother was a bit of a pervert, especially with her trying to
get Ranma to 'peek' into girls windows. For her to have brought Ranma
here, was just more proof that she needed to get him out of her hands.
*After I find that pervert who's trying to steal Ranma, I am making _sure_
we move and Aunt Nodoka is far away from us. A private boarding school
will do, and then I can show Ranma how a person shows love, in the
_proper_ way. I will _not_ have _my_ fiancé lusting after boys!*
"Akane, calm down and think for a little while. You can't just go
around trying to kill every boy you meet. We have to be cautious and
careful, and then get the boy and talk to him. It will be a lot worse if
you just go off and try to kill him for something that he probably has no
idea about." Nabiki stated while laying a hand on her sisters shoulder.
"Ranma could just have had a hard knock to the head, or it could be
her...his way of coping with the curse."
Akane grunted, and tried to think rationally about it. "You're
right Nabiki, I'll keep my cool, and since you know more about being
sneaky, I'll let you find the pervert. Just let me know who it is, and
help me come up with a way to keep Ranma for myself."
It was the best she could hope for, for now. "I promise little
sister. I will find the boy Ranma's been seeing, and I will tell you who
he is."
Akane however, was thinking a little bit differently. She had
promised not to go after the perverts who could be the ones after Ranma,
but she did not promise not to tell Shampoo and Ukyou. Nor did she
promise not to tell Kodachi, if she could convince her that 'the pig
tailed girl' and Ranma were one and the same. *If I can't confront the
pervert, and beat him up, I'm sure the others would only be too glad to do
so. They may be competition, but they are the _proper_ competition,
unlike any of those pervert boys!*
"Let's go home Akane, I don't think it would be a good idea to be
following her like this, she may get suspicious." Nabiki said while
sighing in relief. With Akane agreeing to let her handle the situation,
things were not as desperate as they might get. She was not willing to
see Nerima's death toll take a sudden sharp climb while her little sister
'investigated' matters herself.
***
In a nearby mansion, a phone rang, and the man sitting at the desk
answered it. When he heard what his informant told him, he knew that, at
least for the next few weeks, his actions and those who were closest to
him, had to change. In a way, the call was not unexpected, given the
confusion in Nerima, but he had hoped his hobbies would last a little
while longer. Pressing a button, he turned to the revealed monitors along
one wall, and searched for the various occupants of the estate. Finding
the people he wanted, he summoned them to his office, despite their
protests.
Yes, someone was out there, dangerous to him and the people he
knew. He did have his suspicions, especially given the way people were
talking. However, now was not the time for what could easily be handled
later. He had time, and that was to his advantage.
***
Ryouga was still smiling, and drinking more tea. Tempting as it
was to run away, as far away as he could get, he knew he couldn't risk it.
If he had, somehow, ended up in another world, then this place was the
only possibility of getting home. Given that, he was unsurprised as Ranma
walked in, looking very pretty. He was not, however, prepared for what
was about to happen.
"Ryouga-kun! You're back! Where were you? Have you eaten? Any
new adventures to talk about?" Ranma exclaimed cutely and
enthusiastically.
Ryouga laughed a bit nervously, "Hi Ranma-chan. You're as bubbly
as ever."
Ranma was having fun with this dream. Ryouga being a friend,
without their usual sparing was something that could be said to have never
happened. Now, how to make this really fun. "At least you're back in
time for our date tomorrow!"
Nodoka raised an eyebrow at this, and narrowed her eyes at the
boy. *Is he the one?*
Ryouga laughed a little more nervously. Kami! In this world he
was Ranma's boyfriend, and from the look Nodoka was giving him, one who
still had to prove himself! "Well, I did try to make it back as fast as
possible, Ranma-chan."
Giggling, more as a way of stopping herself from bursting out
laughing, Ranma gestured to her bags, "I was just shopping, and I've got
to show you what we bought. Wait until you see them on me!"
At this point Nodoka stepped in. Ryouga was definitely suspect in
having sex with her daughter. "Perhaps after your date tomorrow dear.
Right now, I need to talk with Ryouga for a little while. Go and put away
your new clothes and items, and I'll talk with you later."
"Ok, mom." Well, at least her subconscious wasn't being that
perverted. Her mother stepped in at exactly the right time to prevent
everything becoming x-rated.
Ryouga nervously watched Ranma leave the room, and then gulped at
the contained fury on Nodoka's face. "Ehhhh, what do you want to talk
about, Saotome-sama?"
"Walk with me for a while, young man. I believe we have much to
discuss." Nodoka said coldly.
Gulping, Ryouga followed Nodoka out of the house, and hoped that
she was not going to take his life. What kind of cad was the Ryouga of
this universe?
"Ryouga-kun, I need to know if you love my daughter." Nodoka
stated, as they walked out of the gate.
"I...Well...She is a good friend, and I do enjoy being with her.
I'm just not sure we're ready for marriage as of yet," he stated
nervously, "We're still in school, and well, I need to find out if I can
take care of her properly."
Nodoka nodded, it seemed the boy was honourable enough, and was
looking towards the future. "So, will I have to search for you, or will
my daughter be disappointed when you fail to show up _again_."
Ryouga gulped hard. This was not going the way he wanted, and he
was definitely not enjoying this confrontation. His counterpart sounded
like he had disappointed his girlfriend several times, and her mother was
getting tired of it. In a way, it was a not so subtle warning that if her
daughter was not satisfied in every way possible, then he would face her
wrath, probably at the end of her katana. If this is what the Genma in
his universe had to face, then it was no wonder he took off with Ranma for
over ten years. She was scary! "Ahhh...I was thinking of staying at the
dojo for the night, that way I can be ready. The problem is I don't
really have a formal outfit to wear in order to take her out tomorrow."
"Well, we'll just have to solve that problem. Of course, I'll
expect you to take her out to a nice place for dinner, and to show her a
good time. Just not _TOO_ good a time." Nodoka stated, looking the boy
in the eye. "When we get back, you are _going_ to be on your best
behaviour, is that clear Ryouga-kun?"
Ryouga gulped again. Ok, not in every way possible. Then again,
avoiding the possibility of having sex with Ranma was fine with him, even
if this Ranma was a girl and sexually active with his counterpart, which
was likely given the stare he was getting. "Perfectly, Saotome-sama."
***
*Oh shit!* Nabiki thought to herself, as she looked at Akane who
was glowing with a very bright aura. *If Ryouga is dating Ranma, he'll be
killed if Akane gets a hold of him.*
*I'll kill him. I'll make him sorry he ever came here. He'll
look nice skinned, and after I make sure that he painfully loses what all
perverts seem to think with. To think that I thought Ryouga was a nice
guy, but it seems he _still_ hasn't given up on getting Ranma for
himself.* The youngest Tendo seethed.
"Calm down Akane, you know how things tend to get blown out of
proportion around here. With how Aunt Saotome was reacting, it's possible
she just jumped to conclusions and trapped him into it. After all, when
has he ever gone after a girl without having a major case of nerves!"
Nabiki said nervously, not willing to see the damage the eventual fight
would cause. "I'll find out for sure, just keep calm.
"I'll keep calm, Nabiki," Akane stated, letting her aura flare
out. *But as soon as I tell the others, it will be open season on Hibiki,
and he's going to wish that he never tried to get Ranma by Magic, just
like last time. The best part is, there is no way this can be blamed on
me when the others kill him.*
To Be Continued...
