I would like to thank Draco1000, XV-Dragon, Draco Maxima, iamkagomeiloveinuyasha, Invader Spyder, lily'sturmoil, and ShalBrenfan for your reviews and support. As for everyone else, please read and review or I'll call and have twenty pizzas delivered to your house. (evil laugh)
Ranma sighed as Will pulled away from him and climbed to her feet after finally calming down, her tears finally stopping. He hated that his English was so bad, it took time for him to figure out what was being said and even longer to figure out how to say what he wanted. The only good part about it was that being forced to think about it kept him from putting his foot in his mouth.
"I'm going to explore the cottage." Will said as she got to her feet and reclaimed her pack as Ranma also got up.
"I come to." Ranma said shaking his head as he started to realize how Shampoo must have felt trying to speak Japanese.
"Thanks Ranma." Will said softly.
The two explored the small cottage slowly taking in everything and deciding what needs fixed up first as the place was in a state of disrepair. The small kitchen was connected to the common room which had two doors, one to a small bedroom with a large bed and the other to a wash room. There was dust everywhere and many things needing repaired such as the fireplace in the common room which had several bricks laying in it that fell from the chimney.
"Its kind of small but its nice." Will said, sniffing a little. "Its…Its my own home…Our home."
"Is Nice." Ranma agreed as the walked into the kitchen.
"Ranma, are you sure you want to stay with me?" Will asked, her voice sounding a little nervous.
"If no mind, I don't know about here…Need someone show me…And like you…You like friend?" Ranma said, honestly. He hadn't known her for long but besides the eldest Tendo sister Will was the only person to actually be this nice to him.
"Thanks." Will said putting her pack down on the table before going over to hug him. Just as soon as she wrapped her arms around him a small part of the ceiling above them gave way dumping a large amount of water on the two of them.
"I…I can explain." Ranma whimpered as he changed into a short busty redhead and pulled back a little fearfully. He was sure that Will was about to freak out but the confused look on her face instead of out right rejection or anger calmed him down abit.
"How…You were a boy…Now…How?" Will asked looking Ranma up and down.
"I is cursed at Jusenkyo. Cold water make girl and hot change back." Ranma explained.
"Wow, that must be so weird." Will said, "I guess that solves the sleeping arrangements."
"What do you mean?" Ranma asked.
"Easy, you can sleep as a girl and stay in the bedroom with me." Will said.
"Not proper…Can't do it." Ranma said backing away a little.
"Whats not proper about it, we would both be girls." Will said, "I've slept in my…friends… beds all the time when spending the night."
"But I'm a guy." Ranma protested.
"You have a nice rack for a guy." Will smirked poking Ranma's breast.
"Why everyone do that?" Ranma asked backing away from Will's probing finger.
"I'm sorry." Will sighed, "I just…I would rather you sleep in there with me, even if on the floor. I never…I'm a little scared I guess…"
"Is okay Will." Ranma sighed, "Understand."
"Thanks Ranma." Will sighed though he could see relief flash through her eyes. "So friends?"
"Like that…Friends." Ranma said smiling.
"Sorry guys, I'm back." Altair said sneaking in the door. "Cedric is gone so its safe now. Also, I wanted to invite you both…What happened to Ranma?"
"I Ranma." Ranma said grumbling about the unfairness of it all.
"But Ranma is a guy." Altair said confused.
"Ranma has a curse than turns him into a girl with cold water Altair, hot water changes him back." Will said.
"So he is a changeling?" Altair asked before shaking his head, "Anyways, I will keep your secret but I had to tell my wife. She wants you both to come over for dinner."
"Sure." Ranma said as her stomach growled.
"I guess we could." Will sighed.
"Great, follow me." Altair said leading the two from the cottage and back into town. It took a bit and it gave Ranma the chance to look around more as they traveled and though some of the people looked strange she could tell that they were a good, kind people though they didn't seem very happy. Many even had a fearfull look as they watched her group walk through the cobblestone street. They finally reached a building with a sign over it and he looked at it in confusion.
"It's a smith shop." Will whispered to her, "They repair stuff and make things out of metal."
"Ohhhh…" Ranma replied, nodding at the same time.
"Come in, my wife should have everything finished by now." Altair said as he opened the door letting them in before entering himself. They followed Altair through the back while strong delicious scents filled the air though it was a foreign smell, one Ranma never smelled before. When they reached a room with a table a beautiful dark skinned woman with long dark hair tied back was busy finishing setting up the table.
"Welcome to our humble home Gaurdian, I hope you enjoy our hospitality." The woman said, "My name is Velspa, I'm honored by your presence."
"Please…Don't treat me like that, I'm not worth it." Will said, sadness filling her voice.
"You have done so much for our people though, we owe you so much." Velspa. Said bowing her head a little.
"No you don't but…If you really believe that then you can repay me by not treating me like that. I'm just a normal girl…I'm not even sure if I'm worth that much…Not many think I am anyways." Will said rubbing her eyes.
Velspa bit her bottom lip as a shocked look crossed her face then deep thought. After a few moments she surged forward and gathered Will up in her arms holding her in a tight hug. "You are worth a lot to us young lady, many people here love you." Velspa said as Will trembled a little, "I hope that whoever it was that hurt you get eaten by larveks."
"Th-Thanks." Will said pulling away gently, "I don't want to be treated like some…I don't know but…I would rather have you as a friend. My name is Will and this is Ranma."
"Friends it is." Velspa said hugging Will again before releasing her and turning toward the table. "Lets eat before the food gets cold."
Ranma started eating at his normal pace, inhaling huge amounts of food as the other three watched her stunned. She slowed down when he noticed that the others weren't really eating anything and Will was glaring at him angrily. She slowed down as she watched Will eat a little bit of the stew though not much, her head hanging but Ranma could see her eyes and the anger did start to fade away but it didn't help relieve Ranma of the fear that she may have just lost Will as a friend and she wasn't even sure why.
"Why don't you both stay here tonight and we can all work on fixing the cottage tomorrow." Velspa said.
"I'm sorry but I would like to get back, but I really loved the meal." Will said glancing at Ranma in a way that let her know not to argue about it. "We already fixed up the bedroom so we will be fine but I hope we can talk some more tomorrow sometime."
"We would love that." Altair said, "We will come by in the morning and help straighten up some. I'll walk you both back though."
"We'll be okay, thank you." Ranma said.
"Hold on a moment, please." Velspa said as Will and Ranma got up. She hurried out of the room and came back a few moments later with a small canvas sack. She handed it to Will who refused it for a few moments but after Velspa's insistence she took it. "Please, I want you to have it."
"Th-Thank you." Will said hugging the older woman. "Come on, Ranma."
Ranma followed Will nervously as they left the home and walked in silence for several minutes. The quiet was something Ranma always loved but in this case it was really starting to get to her. She decided to do something that she wasn't very good at.
"Will…I sorry for whatever did…I…I didn't mean and I don't want lose you as friend." Ranma said quietly.
"Ranma…I'm sorry for getting upset about something you didn't know about. Just because I might get upset over something doesn't mean that we are going to stop being friends." Will said softly, stopping to take Ranma's hand and look in her eyes. "I was upset because the people here don't have too much to eat themselves because Phobos steals everything. At first it looked like you didn't care before I realized that you wouldn't even know that yet."
"Will…I sorry, that how had to eat on road. Pops steal my food and called speed training." Ranma explained, "And why eat so much is ki…Use up much lifeforce…Need food to replace."
Will watched Ranma in awe when Ranma dropped Will's hand and held up her hand palm up forming a small ball of ki floating above her hand. She smiled as Will looked on in awe before realization flashed in her eyes.
"That is that attack you used on the guards, isn't it?" Will asked surprised.
"Yes." Ranma nodded reabsorbing the ball of ki back into herself.
"Do…Do you think you could show me?" Will asked.
"I try…You think can help with English." Ranma asked.
"Of course." Will said with a smile.