Chapter 57 A Blessed Event
Lime was still boiling in anger as she stalked off of the train at the Nerima station. "How dare they, those perverts?" she said, her eyes flashing, remembering the man who had pinched her as she walked by him in the aisle.
Ranma rolled her eyes at Akane who simply giggled. "Don't much like being on the other end of being ogled and groped, do you?" Ranma asked.
"I didn't realize how offensive that was," Lime admitted, "Being thought of as a piece of, um, meat."
"Exactly," Akane replied, "Being stared at isn't much fun, but being groped is so much worse. I don't know of many girls who honestly like that."
If Lime had been furious when she walked off the train, Mint was Mount Krakatoa to her candle. The anger boiling off of her was enough energy to run Tokyo for nearly a whole day.
"What's wrong with her?" Ranma asked innocently enough.
"She's mad because she didn't get groped," Herb said, with an amused expression on her face.
"You know there's something seriously wrong with that statement, and I don't even know where to start," Ranma said.
"Tell me about it," Akane said, looking slightly ill at the thought. Then she frowned, and said, "You know, neither one of us got touched at all. I wonder why that was, not that I'm actually complaining mind you."
Herb chuckled and said, with amusement, "Maybe because you were draped all over Ranma on the train, in fact if you had been any closer to her you would have been in her lap. And then Ranma had that whole don't fu, I mean, mess around with me look on her face. It even would have scared me off."
Ranma grinned at Akane sheepishly as she nudged her in the side. "Being a bit protective of me, were you?" she asked.
"Yeah, I guess I always will be," Ranma admitted. She glanced back over at Mint and said, "Mint doesn't seem to be learning the lesson that we had hoped to teach very well."
"No, it isn't sinking in very fast. I don't see a cure for him, or rather her, in the near future. On the other hand, Lime seems to have gotten it reasonably well," Herb said softly.
"Where to, Master Herb?" Lime asked, as she approached with her share of the luggage.
"It's probably time to introduce you to Elder Cologne," Ranma suggested.
Herb pondered that for a moment and then replied, "I agree. It would be somewhat lacking in manners for me to be in Nerima and not pay my respects to one of the chief elders of the Joketsuzoku."
"That's settled then," Ranma said, "We'll take you by the café, and introduce you to her."
"The café?" Akane asked in surprise.
"Yeah, she's there right now, instead of at the embassy. Don't you remember, Shampoo was going on another trip with Taro, so Cologne and Mousse agreed to run the restaurant while they were gone?" Ranma replied.
"Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten that," Akane admitted. She looked over at Herb and asked, "You are still planning on staying for a while, aren't you? I know that we would like to train with you some more."
"Yeah, Prince Herb. Yesterday morning was a lot of fun, though I guess we got a bit carried away," Ranma agreed.
Herb grinned and said, "Yes, I think we will. You are one of the few people that I can spar with, Ranma, and not worry about holding back. And your wife seems to be able to hold her own against these two."
"Excellent," Ranma said rubbing her hands together in satisfaction.
"Mommy, where's Big Brother? I didn't see him yesterday," Genko asked when she came down for breakfast.
"Ranma and Akane went on a trip to help a friend of theirs," Nodoka replied calmly, "They'll be back in a few days, I suppose, unless they take a day or two extra to train."
"I miss him, he and Akane are fun to play with," Genko whined.
"Patience, little one," Nodoka said softly, "You need to hurry and eat so you can get to school this morning."
Genko sighed heavily and knelt down at the table. "Yes, Mommy," she said with a sad expression on her face.
Nodoka turned to the television set that was sitting on the counter as she heard the words, 'Treasure Mountain.' She watched as the announcer talked about how the residents of the valley below had seen flares of light, and that apparently the top of the mountain had been blown apart yesterday. She gasped, "Treasure Mountain, that's where Ranma and Akane went. I hope they're all right."
Cologne looked up from the counter where she was sitting as the door to her great granddaughter's restaurant opened and five people walked in. The first two were her friends Ranma and Akane Saotome, but then her eyes widened as she realized that the next two were dressed as warriors of the Musk dynasty, but couldn't be, since they were both women. The fifth figure was covered in a cloak, but something in the way the figure moved told her that it was also female.
"Hello, Cologne," Akane said in greeting, "We've brought some friends by."
Cologne nodded in greeting and asked, "Who are they child?"
"Elder Cologne, this is Prince Herb, of the Musk Dynasty," Ranma said, pointing to the cloaked figure, "And the green-haired girl is Lime and the other is Mint, also warriors of the Musk Dynasty. Prince Heb, this is Elder Cologne."
"Prince Herb?" Cologne repeated, except with a question. 'So the story that my great granddaughter told me was indeed true,' she thought.
Herb pulled the hood back off of her hair, and grinned wryly. "Yes, Prince Herb," she said softly, yet proudly, "However, I seem to have run afoul of the cursed valley of Jusenkyo."
"Shampoo told me your tale," Cologne said, "Were you successful in finding your artifact?"
"Yes, fortunately for me, we were indeed successful," Herb said, "And I am now no longer locked in this form. But, unfortunately, I have been female for over a month, and well,"
"Oh dear, I believe I understand," Cologne said. She looked puzzled for a moment and then asked, "However, Shampoo didn't say anything about your retainers having the same curse. What is their story?"
"All I know, Elder Cologne, is that we woke up one morning like this," Mint explained.
Lime added, "I believe that it is punishment for our behavior. As you may know, our people separate the boy children from the tribe at an early age, and train us as warriors."
"Yes, yes, I know that," Cologne snapped impatiently, "I didn't get to be this old without learning all that there is to know about the people in our area."
"Sorry, Elder. Anyway, when we followed Master Herb, we discovered that women existed, instead of being the rumor that we had been told. Anyway, we, er, well."
"They were being major perverts," Akane growled, "always wanting to see my chest, or Herb's or Ranma's for that matter."
"As Mistress Akane said, we were punished for our lack of respect for the female form," Lime said.
"That is an odd turn of phrase," Herb said, "It sounds like you have been thinking about this for a while."
"Yes, Master Herb, but it really is just an outgrowth of our early training. Remember our teacher always telling us to respect our bodies? Well, this is my body now, so other people should treat it with the respect that it deserves," Lime said.
"It seems to me that you may have learned whatever lesson the gods were attempting to show you," Cologne said, with a straight face.
"Cologne, Prince Herb plans on staying on here in Nerima for a while, and I was wondering," Ranma began.
"Speaking for Shampoo, she would be honored if he chose to grace her humble establishment," Cologne said.
"Where is my sister, anyway?" Ranma asked.
"Oh, she and Taro went on a trip," Cologne replied, "That's why I'm here actually, to run the restaurant while she's gone. Mousse is trying to help, but to be honest, I think he'd rather be spending more time with Nabiki Tendo."
"Well, in that case, I think we have two waitresses for you, don't we, Mint and Lime?" Herb said with a grin. She turned to the two of them and said, "You will obey Elder Cologne as you obey me. I will be off with Ranma and Akane while we train together."
"Yes, Master Herb," the two retainers echoed.
Cologne cackled and said, "Well, in that case, we need to do something about a uniform. What you are wearing just will not do. Then, while they are changing, I need to talk to you, Prince Herb." She led the two girls upstairs, returning shortly by herself. "Okay, now how exactly did they get cursed?" Cologne asked, looking directly at Akane.
"All three of us got real tired of them trying to cop a feel, or wanting to see our breasts," Akane explained.
"So we decided that they needed to be taught a lesson. We used the Instant Nyannichuan powder to give them a temporary curse, and then Prince Herb used the Chiisuiton to lock it," Ranma added.
Prince Herb grinned and said, "And I'm not going to unlock it until they understand what it's like being treated like a piece of meat. In fact, I was thinking a couple of months would work real well. Though, it sounds like Lime is beginning to understand already."
Cologne cackled for several moments. "I haven't had this much fun in ages." Then she turned serious and said, "Prince Herb, you seem to be taking the fact that you turn into a girl much better than I had expected."
Herb frowned slightly and replied, "Yes, I suppose I could have been an arrogant ass about the whole thing. But I've had a bit of time to get used to being a girl, and since there doesn't appear to be a cure; I need to accept that this will be a part of my life. These two have helped me understand that just because my body changes form doesn't mean that I'm any different inside. I'm still the same person. I owe them that, and that's one of the reasons that I'm sticking around for a while." The three of them fell silent as they heard the sound of the two girls returning.
Ranma and Akane giggled as Mint and Lime walked in. Lime was dressed, more or less, mostly less, in one of Shampoo's outfits, filling it out even better than the buxom Amazon did, and since she was taller, showing much more leg. Mint's eyes were slightly glazed, and a faint trickle of blood was coming from her nose, as she watched Lime bounce around.
"Ranma, why don't you and Akane take the Prince upstairs and show her where everything is," Cologne ordered.
"Shampoo's old room for Prince Herb, I suppose?" Ranma asked.
"Of course," Cologne said. She turned to Mint and Lime and said, "Okay, now you two follow me into the kitchen." The three of them walked through the curtained doorway at the back of the dining room.
"Well, you heard the Elder. Let's show you around," Akane said cheerfully as she led the way upstairs.
"Am I kicking this Shampoo out of her own room?" Herb asked, "I would not want to do that."
"Oh, no, she actually lives with her husband at my mother's house," Ranma explained.
"Our family is a little weird," Akane added, "Mom seems to adopt people pretty easily. When Shampoo got married, Mom was in her house basically by herself and insisted that they move in. And usually what Ranma's mom wants, she gets."
"She still has some of her stuff here," Ranma said, as she opened the door to the room, revealing a good-sized bedroom, at least by Japanese standards, with a futon big enough for two people at one end of the room, and a small dresser opposite.
"The next door down is a Western style bathroom, with a shower, I believe," Akane said.
Herb smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, my friends. I owe you a debt of gratitude for what you have done for me."
"You would have found the kettle," Ranma replied.
"Probably. But I wouldn't have realized that these," Herb said, as she touched her breasts, "don't define me. Who I am hasn't changed just because I turn into a girl. And I learned that watching the two of you. Akane, you treat your husband the same, no matter what gender he may be. Ranma, you just don't care."
"That's not completely true, Herb. When I am female like now, it's easier to show my emotions. Course, that could be because of the way I was raised by my wonderful father," Ranma said, "But, if I have helped you become, well, comfortable I guess for lack of a better word, with what happens, then good."
"Comfortable? Yes, I suppose that is the right word, or perhaps, accepting," Herb said softly, "Now, I'm sure you have family that is missing you."
Ranma and Akane flashed a quick smile, knowing a dismissal when they heard one. "We'll see you sometime tomorrow then," Ranma said as the two of them headed back downstairs.
Genko squealed with delight as she saw who was standing by the gate of her school that afternoon. With gay abandon, she came running, her little legs pumping for all they were worth and she sprang into her brother's arms.
"Hey, did you miss me?" Ranma asked, with a smile.
"Uh huh," the little girl replied, as she hugged her brother around his neck.
Ranma said, "Not quite so tight, Genko. I do need to breathe."
Genko released the death grip she had on his neck, and allowed him to set her down on the ground.
Taking her by the hand, Ranma suggested, "Let's get you home. Mom and Akane are waiting for us there."
"Why were you gone so long?" Genko asked.
"It wasn't that long, just five days," Ranma said mildly, "You just have no patience."
"I do too have patience," Genko protested, then with an odd expression on her face, she asked, "Um, what is patience? Isn't that what they call people who go to the doctor?"
Ranma grinned. 'I like this little girl. I hope she doesn't change as she grows older,' he thought.
Herb walked down the stairs into the main part of the restaurant. After spending the remainder of the past week as a girl, he was very happy that he could now remain male. The young Amazon girl he remembered from his first visit to Nerima had shown up the day before, and word had quickly spread to the surrounding area that she was back. To his surprise, the restaurant was packed. He stood by the curtained doorway for a while, his lips curling up into a smile as Lime and Shampoo worked the crowd. The two of them were definitely trying to one-up each other in a friendly rivalry to see who could serve a table the quickest, and from somewhere, Lime had found an ability to flirt with the best of them. Mint had been relegated to the kitchen, where she was slaving over a hot stove, preparing vast quantities of ramen.
Cologne hopped over to Herb and said, just loud enough to be heard over the roar of the busy establishment, "You do know that locking them as female will possibly give them the curse permanently, don't you?"
"No actually I didn't stop to think about what might happen. But to be honest, I don't really care," Herb said. With a chill smile, he added, "After all since their life is in my hand, why shouldn't their gender be?"
"I see that your father is indeed teaching you to rule, Prince Herb, but if this old woman could provide a word of caution," Cologne said hesitantly.
"Continue, Elder Cologne. Your reputation for wisdom has reached even our remote people," Herb said.
"I don't always follow this, but don't think of your people as disposable. If you treat them callously, they will grow to hate and despise you. If you treat them with dignity, they will grow to revere you," Cologne said. She stopped for a moment to observe his reaction and then added, "There is a western writer, Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote a book entitled 'The Prince' that you might wish to read. It is a very practical guide in how to exercise raw political power. Learn from his mistakes."
Herb looked at her thoughtfully and said, "So what you are saying is that I need to temper ruthlessness with mercy, and exercise my power carefully."
"Something like that," Cologne admitted.
Herb sat up in his bed and glanced over at the calendar hanging on the wall. Today was indeed the red letter day that he had circled. The last few weeks had flown past as he had trained with Akane and Ranma, while Mint and Lime endured the training that Cologne had put them through, teaching them all about how to behave as a girl. Well, except for one small detail that Herb had promised to discuss with them. He chuckled evilly as he waited for the inevitable explosion that he knew would occur soon from the small bedroom that his two retainers shared. He pondered the difference in their behavior. Lime had more or less embraced her feminity, even going so far as to only wear feminine attire, while Mint was still struggling with the fact that for now at least he was no longer a he.
Suddenly a scream rent the quiet of the morning, as a smirk quickly appeared on Herb's face. He waited for a moment and then heard the thunder of someone knocking on his door. "Master Herb," came the panicked cry.
Herb sprang out of bed and walked to the door. He opened it to see Mint standing there. "Master, come quick. There's something wrong with Lime. There's blood all over her sheets. I think Lime is dying."
Herb frowned briefly and then asked in his most arrogant tone, "Did you two not read the family planning book I gave you?"
Mint hung her head in shame and said softly, "Well, no, I didn't. I mostly looked at the pictures."
"Mint, you have a girl's body! Aren't you at all interested in how it works?" Herb asked, as he walked into the bedroom the two girls shared. Lime was whimpering on the bed that the two girls shared, staring at the mess.
Herb sighed, and said, "You aren't dying Lime. This is perfectly natural and you should expect it to happen once a month."
Lime looked at her master and asked, "Is this what the book was calling a period?"
Herb nodded his head.
"I guess I wasn't paying attention to how long I'd been female," Lime said in a voice almost so low that Herb missed it. Lime glared at Mint and crawled out of the bed. She walked over to the dresser and pulled out a clean pair of panties and then turned to Herb. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you over this," she said softly, "I should have been better prepared."
"Go get yourself cleaned up, Lime," Herb said in a not unkind voice, "Shampoo said she left the appropriate supplies in the bathroom." He turned to Mint and suggested, "You might prepare for this also. You've been female just as long."
Ryoga looked lost as his wife continued to berate him. He wasn't sure exactly what had set her off this morning, but he was beginning to get used to her morning rants. The last month of her pregnancy had been the worst for both of them. And because of his poor sense of direction, he had been afraid to leave her side, even when she was demanding some weird food to satisfy her cravings.
"I'm fat, I'm ugly, my skin is breaking out, I'm clumsy and it's all your fault," Ukyo screamed, "And you don't love me any more!" She grimaced slightly as she felt a pang.
"Ukyo, dear," Ryoga said, soothingly, "Of course I still love you. You're giving me, or rather us, the most precious gift anyone could give. You're not fat, you're pregnant. You're definitely not ugly, to me you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He looked concerned as another grimace appeared on her face.
"And I haven't seen my feet in weeks and I have heartburn all the time," Ukyo continuing her rant, completely ignoring her husband's attempt to calm her down. Then, suddenly, an odd look crossed her face. "Oh dear, oh my," she said, as a puddle formed below her. "Oh, Ryoga, it's time!" she exclaimed.
"You mean, right now," Ryoga began, as his face paled.
"Yes, right now. Get my suitcase and get me to the hospital!" Ukyo exclaimed. She began to babble, "What was I'm thinking? I'm too young to have a baby, to be a mommy. What am I doing?"
Ryoga took a deep breath and calmed himself down. In her present state of panic, Ukyo wouldn't be of any use. Quickly, he walked to the phone and dialed a number that he had written down just in case, and ordered a taxi. Then he dialed the Tendo home and exchanged a brief message with Nabiki, who had been the one to answer. She promised to spread the news. With those two important items out of the way, he turned to his wife and said, "Okay, just calm down. The cab will be here in ten or so minutes. That should give us enough time to clean you up a bit, and then we can go downstairs and wait."
Ukyo looked at him, amazed at him being able to take charge. She nodded dumbly and followed him back into the bath.
Ryoga watched anxiously as the midwife examined his wife. Finally she stood up and said with a smile, "Dearie, you're progressing nicely. You're nearly fully dilated. I'll be back in a little while." With that, she turned and walked out of the labor room, carefully closing the door behind her.
"You know, I'd feel a lot better about that if she hadn't said the exact same thing for the last two hours," Ukyo said, as she grimaced again with another contraction. Ryoga avoided wincing as she crushed the hand that she was holding.
"Would you like some more ice chips?" Ryoga asked, trying to make himself feel useful. After all, he had mostly been standing there ever since they had arrived at the hospital and were whisked to this room. About the only thing he had been able to do is allow her to hold his hand, and occasionally give her some ice.
Ukyo licked her chapped lips and nodded. Ryoga walked over to where the glass of ice had been, only to find that it had melted. He picked up the glass and headed to the door, when suddenly the door opened, sending the glass soaring into the air, where it successfully poured the contents over his head, triggering his transformation.
The midwife bustled back in and stopped in shock. Instead of the young couple that she had just seen, a strange young woman was standing there, with very damp hair, wearing clothing that was identical to the clothing that the husband had been wearing. "Excuse me, miss, only immediate family can be in here right now. I'm going to have to ask you to go back to the waiting room," the midwife ordered.
"Ryoga, damn it, get back here," Ukyo groaned as another contraction hit.
"I don't have time to explain, I'm her husband, Ryoga," Ryoga said as she rushed back to hold Ukyo's hand.
"But," the midwife protested, only to fall silent at the glare she received from both of the two women. She came over and examined Ukyo again, and said, happily, "Excellent, dearie, you're at ten centimeters now. We can move you into the delivery room, but whatever you do, don't push." She walked to the door and opened it just enough to admit the young doctor that they had chosen after a great deal of discussion.
"Sensei, she's at ten," the midwife said, "But I don't know where her husband is."
"Don't worry, Kato, this young lady can stand in for him," the doctor replied, "She's family, as well." 'I still can't believe that this is really Hibiki-kun. That day in the office when he showed me his transformation,' the doctor thought. "Let's get her down to the delivery room," he finished.
The midwife and an attendant helped Ukyo on to a gurney and the two of them rolled her out of the room and down a short hallway to the delivery room, where they helped her slided onto the angled bed. Ryoga and the doctor following behind.
"Do you want some hot water?" the doctor asked quietly.
"No, this is more important. I need to be there, and nothing else matters," Ryoga replied.
"Good man," the doctor said as they joined Ukyo and the midwife in the room. Once again, Ryoga grasped Ukyo's hand as another contraction happened.
"You are never having sex with me again, you bastard, this is all your fault," Ukyo groaned as that one hurt the worst.
"Don't worry, dearie, they always say that. And I've never heard of it happening," the midwife said automatically.
The doctor checked quickly and said, "We can start pushing now. Everything is going great, Hibiki-kun, Hibiki-chan."
"It hurts!" Ukyo exclaimed.
"Breathe, Ucchan," Ryoga said, soothingly.
"If you want any more children, you get to have them," Ukyo snapped.
Ryoga smiled weakly at that.
"Don't worry, Hibiki-kun, I've never lost a father yet," the doctor said, "Okay, Ukyo, on the next one, push hard."
The next hour passed quickly for some, painfully for both Ukyo and Ryoga, as the contractions grew closer together. Finally, the doctor grinned and said, "Okay, the baby has crowned. Just a little longer, Ukyo. You're doing great."
Ukyo grunted as she pushed, and then once more, while Ryoga marveled at the strength of her grip. She had long since lost sensation in the hand that her wife was holding, but counted that as minor to the pain that she knew that Ukyo was having.
"Okay, one more push," the doctor said in a gentle, yet commanding voice.
Finally, Ukyo screamed and pushed one last time, as the doctor cradled a bundle in his arms. He held up the baby and lightly swatted her on the rear end. The little girl screamed at the indignity and then took a breath.
"Congratulations, you two," the doctor said, as he handed the baby to the midwife and then cut the cord.
Ryoga took one look and collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.
"Ryoga, you weakling," Ukyo said, fondly as she saw her husband, "And you call yourself a martial artist."
Ryoga tore his eyes away from the most amazing sight, his wife breast-feeding his newborn daughter.
Ukyo grinned at him and said, softly, "Well, go on, go answer the door and see who's out there." He got up from his chair and walked over to the door and opened it enough to see that it was Ranma and Akane.
"It's Ranma and Akane, dear," Ryoga said.
"Well, don't just stand there, let them in," Ukyo replied.
"But you're nursing!" Ryoga exclaimed.
Ukyo rolled her eyes and said, "In the first place, Ranma and Akane both know what breasts look like. And in the second place, nobody can see anything anyway, because greedy guts here is protecting my modesty."
Ryoga looked over and saw that his wife was glaring at him, so he gulped, and wisely stepped back out of the way.
Akane stepped into the room, closely followed by Ranma who was carrying a small stuffed panda. Akane squealed in delight when she saw the baby. She said, softly, "Congratulations, you two. She looks adorable. Looks like she has your hair, Ukyo." She felt a small pang of jealousy looking at how happy Ukyo was.
"Yeah, she was worth the effort," Ukyo said, with a smile, "I may let Ryoga near me again."
Ranma glanced at Ryoga who smiled weakly.
"Uh, she was making some threats in the delivery room," Ryoga replied, softly.
Ranma chuckled and said, softly, "It's really a good thing some memories fade or we'd all be only children."
Ryoga grinned at his friend as he walked over to the bed.
"Hey, Ucchan," Ranma said, "You two did good. I'm so happy for you, all three of you."
"Hey yourself," Ukyo replied, "Yeah, this is so cool."
"This is for her," Ranma said as he placed the stuffed animal in the little crib next to the bed that Ukyo was lying in.
"Yuki, this is Ranma and Akane, our best friends," Ukyo said, "Ranma, Akane, this is our daughter, Yuki."
"She is our luck," Ryoga added, in a wondering tone that Ranma had never heard from the boy, no man, before.
"I think all three of you are lucky," Akane said, wistfully.
"Looks like she's done," Ukyo said, as she gently disengaged the baby from her nipple. Ranma had half-turned away, to give her a little privacy as she rearranged her nightgown. "Do you want to hold her?" Ukyo asked.
"Can I?" Akane said.
"Sure, just put this towel on your shoulder for when she burps," Ukyo said.
Akane placed the towel over her shoulder and then carefully picked up Yuki in her arms and placed the infant against her shoulder. She gently patted Yuki's back, and sure enough, the little baby burped, and spat up a little of the breast milk.
Ranma looked at the two of them, and his heart twinged. 'She looks so good right now, I almost wish that we could start our family too,' he thought.
Ryoga looked at his friend and chuckled. "It'll happen soon enough, Ranma," he said softly, his words barely reaching Ranma over Akane's gentle crooning.
Ranma quirked a grin and said, "You're right, I do want that. Look at her, she looks like that's how she belongs. But, we agreed to wait until after we had some college behind us." He sighed and added, "It's a bit different for you guys. You already know what you'll be doing, what with running the restaurant, and everything. You can afford to start your family, even if she was a bit of an accident."
"Those two are the best things that ever happened to me, Ranma, so while we may not have planned Yuki, I'm so deliriously happy that she's here, that I'm gonna ignore that statement," Ryoga growled.
Ranma had the decency to blush, and said, "Sorry, that wasn't exactly the way I meant that. I think I'm just a bit jealous of you right now, buddy."
The nurse bustled into the room, and said, "Visiting hours are nearly over. And I need to check on our patients. How are we doing, dearie?"
"I am doing fine," Ukyo said, in a saccharine tone, "I don't know how you're doing."
Akane bent down and handed Yuki back to her mother, and kissed Ukyo on the cheek. "You take care of yourself, okay." She placed a small backpack on the floor, and added, "Not that I really expect you to do them, but I brought your schoolwork. Hinako is willing to cut you some slack, but the other teachers don't seem to think giving birth is a good reason not to do your work."
"Typical clueless males," Ukyo growled.
"We'll try to stop by tomorrow sometime," Ranma said as he walked over and gently kissed Ukyo on the cheek. "Good job, sis," he whispered. Then taking his wife by the hand, he led her out the door.
Ranma turned to his wife and said, tenderly, "You want one, don't you?"
Akane's throat tightened and she said, very softly, "Yes, I do." She sighed and continued, "But we can't right now. It would just be too hard to get through college and start up the dojo if we had a little one. We made the right decision." She brightened and said, "But, I don't mind practicing."
Ranma grinned and replied, "Neither do I." He pulled her into a tight hug, and whispered, "We'll have our family when we're ready. And besides, I'm not sure I'm ready to be a father, not yet at any rate. I'm got a bad example to forget before that happens I think."
"I think you're wrong there, Ranma. You know what not to do already," Akane said.
"Yeah, don't take the kids on ten year training trips, for starters," Ranma said with a grin.
"Or turn into a human waterworks," Akane added.
"Master Herb, you asked to see us?" Lime asked as the two girls presented themselves to their master.
Herb looked up from the book he had been reading on the advice of the Amazon Elder and frowned briefly. "Yes, I did," he replied, "but I would like to talk to you separately. Lime, would you occupy yourself in your room for several minutes?"
Even though he had phrased it as a question, Lime recognized the command for what it truly was. She smiled briefly and answered, "Of course, Master Herb." She turned and walked out the door, her hips swaying ever so slightly.
'Lime has certainly accepted being female a lot better than I expected her to. Wait a minute, when did I start thinking of Lime as a her,' Herb thought. After a moment to pull himself together, he turned to Mint and asked, "What have you learned about treating women?"
Mint frowned in concentration and replied, "Well, that I should treat their bodies with respect, not attempt to grope them, or ogle them. Asking to see their breasts is extremely rude." She looked down at the ground and said, very softly, "Master Herb, I am very sorry for my behavior when I found out that you turned into a woman. These last two months have taught me a lot."
"It sounds like you have learned the correct lesson from this experience," Herb said.
"I believe I have," Mint said softly, then she asked, hopefully, "Do you think the gods will see fit to restore me to manhood?"
"The gods may or may not," Herb replied, "But I will. You weren't cursed by them, I did it in an attempt to show you how poor your behavior and treatment of women was. Kneel." Mint dropped to her knees in front of Herb, who rose from his chair and approached carrying the Kai-sui-fu. He poured the hot water contained in the kettle over the girl in front of him, and once again, the Kai-sui-fu worked its magic and unlocked the curse. Mint was restored. Herb stepped back and said, "There is a possibility that cold water will continue to affect you."
"If it does, Master Herb, it is no less than I deserved for my behavior," Mint said.
"Go downstairs now," Herb said, as he set the kettle back down by his chair. He followed Mint out the door, and waited for him to walk down the stairs. Herb then turned and walked to the room that Mint and Lime shared. He opened the door, and said, "Come with me, Lime."
Lime flowed gracefully to her feet and followed her master back to his room. She closed the door behind her and knelt on the floor in front of his chair.
"Lime, what have you learned about treating women?" Herb asked.
"Master, it is simple. Treat them with honor and respect," Lime said softly, as she looked down at the floor.
"Lime, you have done well," Herb said, "But then I thought that you had discovered the truth already. Now, I will reverse the curse that you have and return you to being male."
Lime looked up, startled and she exclaimed, "No! Please don't do that."
"Why, Lime? Are you not a warrior of the Musk Dynasty?" Herb asked in surprise.
"Master Herb, when I was growing up, I always felt something was wrong, I was uncomfortable for some reason. At first, when I woke up female, the strangeness made me wish to be restored. But after a few days, I realized that what had happened was a blessing, not a curse. I discovered that while I might have been born male, that my mind and soul yearned to be female. I was finally comfortable with who I was. This is what I should have been," Lime replied.
Herb sank back down in his chair, a troubled expression on his face. "I didn't expect this, Lime. You seemed to be the perfect warrior," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"I am still a warrior, Master Herb," Lime said, proudly, "Are you not a warrior when you are female? Are you any different?"
"Those words are true," Herb said, "But you know the ways of our people."
"Yes, Master Herb, but I can tell that you are going to change some of those beliefs," Lime replied, "After all, Mint and I were perfect examples of our kind, perverted in our approach, and you set out to teach us different. You won't be able to hide the fact that you change into a woman, either, so our people must change."
"You have been thinking about this for a long time, haven't you?" Herb asked.
Lime replied, "Ever since I realized that I wished to remain female, and also what impact you would have on our people."
"Very well, I can not force you to return to being male. If this is what you truly wish, then I will not stand in your way," Herb said, "You may rise."
Lime smiled and flowed to her feet. "Thank you, Master Herb," she said. She stared at him uncertainly for a second, suddenly bashful. Then she moistened her lips as if gathering up her courage and suddenly dropped into his lap and pressed her lips against his, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Herb stiffened in shock, a voice in his head began to yammer, 'This is Lime, a man you've known all your life. But, Lime said that she was always a woman inside. So is this a man kissing you, or a beautiful woman kissing you? But it does feel good.' Confused, he tried to pull away.
Lime felt his reluctance and pulled back, allowing him to look at her troubled eyes. "I'm sorry, my lord, I shouldn't have done that," she whispered, trying to escape.
Herb prevented her from leaving, though he could tell that he was reacting to what was a pretty girl sitting in his lap. "Why did you do that?" he asked.
"Because, my lord, I have been having strange feelings every time I look at you. I never knew what they meant until now though," Lime replied huskily, "Feelings that I know you can't return."
"I don't know what to say, Lime," Herb said, "I've known you all my life, or at least I thought I did. Two months ago, you were simply one of my two bodyguards. But, I can't deny that I felt something when we kissed. This feels so wrong, but it also felt right."
"I understand, my lord," Lime said, eyes brimming with tears. She stood up and began to turn.
Herb reached out and caught her hand and said, "Give me some time to get used to this side of you, Lime. I have to come to terms with the fact that you were once a woman trapped in a man's body. I can't promise anything; there's a part of me that is very squeamish about what just happened, but there's also a part of me that enjoyed it, and wouldn't mind it happening again. That's all that I meant by what I said before." He hesitated and then asked, "Does Mint know about how you feel about yourself?"
"A little. I told him that I was comfortable in being a woman," Lime replied, softly, "I don't think that he quite understood, though."
"I unlocked his curse, so he is currently male," Herb said.
"I assumed as much," Lime said with a shrug of her shoulders, "Which might make sharing a bed a little awkward."
"If he touches you inappropriately, tell me," Herb ordered, clenching his fist. 'Why did that make me so angry?' he wondered.
Lime smiled faintly and said, "Of course, my lord." She turned to leave, only to stop at a touch on her arm.
"That's the fourth time you've called me 'my lord,' instead of Master Herb," Herb asked, his eyes oddly intent, "Why is that?"
Lime blushed and stood her eyes downcast, though Herb could see her gorgeous brown eyes looking through her long eyelashes. She replied, shyly, "Because of how I feel for you, I suppose. And it is the way of our people, according to the books that I have read. That is the title that a woman uses for the man she loves." She put her hand over her mouth as she realized what she had said, and turned and ran through the door.
Herb looked after her with a thoughtful expression on his face. "What a strange day this has turned out to be," he said. Then he cursed as he realized that he was going to have to talk to Mint and let him know why Lime refused to change back. He headed out the door and went downstairs and entered the kitchen, where he found Mint listening intently to Cologne.
"Master Herb!" Mint exclaimed, "I don't have a curse! Shampoo accidentally splashed me with cold water and I didn't change."
"That is good news, Mint. But I need to talk to you about something else," Herb said.
Cologne started to leave only to have Herb say, "Please stay, Elder. I could use your advice." She turned and saw that Herb was extremely troubled about something from the way his aura was roiling.
"Lime has decided to remain female," Herb said in opening.
"I thought she might," Mint said, while Cologne looked surprised.
Herb frowned and asked, "Why would you think that?"
"She adjusted to being a woman even better than you did, Master Herb, and she had commented about how comfortable she was. In fact, I've come to think about Lime as female," Mint replied, "And then there is the fact, no that is not for me to say."
"You know about her feelings for me?" Herb asked quietly.
"Yes, Master Herb, I do. We've shared a tent for many years and I saw something, and then these last two months I realized what it was," Mint replied. He paused and added, "And I truly did learn what I told you, Master Herb, but if it makes things easier, I will find another place to sleep while we are here."
"There's a third bedroom upstairs," Cologne said.
"Thank you Elder Cologne," Mint said, "I'll go move my things immediately. With your permission of course, Master Herb."
"Yes, yes, go ahead," Herb said.
Mint left the kitchen, leaving a pensiv1e Herb and an amused Cologne.
Cologne chuckled for a moment and then said, "This is not unheard of in my village, Prince Herb. In fact, I know of several cases in our history where someone who was born male voluntarily entered the spring of drowned girl in order to become female." She paused and then asked, "What are your feelings on the subject?"
"Well, to be honest, I'm very confused. It's a little hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Lime feels that she was really a woman trapped in a man's body all these years," Herb replied. He frowned and asked, "Did you know that she considered what happened to her a blessing, not a curse?"
"No, but given what I've heard, and what I had seen, I'm not surprised," Cologne replied.
Herb chuckled and said, "As old as you are, I doubt much surprises you."
Cologne cackled at that. "That's true enough," the old woman replied, "But what about her feeling toward you? She might be the perfect choice for you, since she knows what it is like to be a person trapped in the wrong body."
"I'd have to get past the memory of her being a man first," Herb said, "And that's something I'm not sure I can do, at least not soon."
"I'm not sure I should suggest this, but we Amazons have a way of modifying memories," Cologne said.
"No, I'd rather not do that. If I decide that this is something that I want to pursue, I want it to be in full knowledge of all of the facts, she deserves that much," Herb said after several moments of thought. He turned to leave and then said, "I think we'll be staying in Nerima for a bit longer, Elder."
"You are welcome to stay here as long as you'd like," Cologne said, "Though I'll be spending less time here with my great granddaughter. I do have a ton of paperwork piling up for me at the embassy, as my aide Mousse reminds me often. I sometimes think the Council just can't function without me from all of the stuff that gets sent this way."
"I don't envy you that. I'm definitely not looking forward to the day that I inherit the throne," Herb said, "May my father live long and prosper."
Cologne laughed at how fervently the young man had said that last.
Author's Notes: Thank you for all of the comments about this story. I had a lot of fun with the last chapter, and this one as well. I hope it showed. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged. Also, the name for Ryoga and Ukyo's child is a blatant homage to Doctor Emmit Brown's excellent story by the same name, as well as a plea for him to upload the next chapter. Specific comments are below, though I can't reply to all of them:
Silver Warrior: I'm glad you liked it.
Neon-Ronin: When Ryu shows up, Ranma will find a way to learn. After all, according to canon, his mother has the technique in a letter somewhere. I will have soemthing with both the Ryugenzawa and the Phoenix Clan, I'm just not sure what it'll be yet.
Weebee: Yeah, I did make Herb a bit less of a jerk in this one. Don't worry, when I get to him in Second Time Around, he'll be more or less back to normal.
Shinigami: I should have some interaction between Cologne/Shampoo and Lime in the next chapter.
Wonderbee31: You must have read my mind with this review.
Borg rabbit: I, um, had something a bit different in mind.