Chapter X

"Traitor! Gimme it back!" Ranma shouted.

Ryoga clutched the bottle of water from the Spring of Drowned Man to his chest as he ran.

Ranma chased Ryoga throughout the Tendo house, destroying walls when it suited him, to get a jump on his rival. But Ryoga was just one step ahead of him, until they reached the back porch. And Ranma finally had him cornered, or so he thought.

Ranma kicked at Ryoga, but his rival flipped backwards and landed on the grass below. Ryoga then ran to the pond and stood with an out stretched arm over the water, bottle in hand.

"Don't do it, man!" Ranma said. "You know Shampoo and her schemes."

"No scheme, Ranma," Shampoo said, quickly coming to stand next to him. "Water really from Spring of Drowned Man. Amazon sisters sent to me. Water refined."

Akane and her father followed.

"Trust me, Ryoga," Ranma said, ignoring her. "You really don't want to test it here, and find out it fails, d'ya? You gotta believe me." Ranma gave him a quick two eye dart to Akane.

"I believe Shampoo," Ryoga said.

"What's the problem, Ranma?" Akane said. "Since he isn't cursed, it won't affect him. You'll still be the one cursed to enter the water. Right, Shampoo?"

"Um," Shampoo said, giving an unsure glance at Ranma. "Not sure 'bout that," she added.

"Time to make things right, Ranma!" Ryoga threatened. And he popped the top off the bottle and poured the contents into the pool, instantly making the pond water a nannichuan.

"NOOOO!" Ranma cried out. "You're not going to—"

Ranma bolted, and grabbed Ryoga by his shirt before he could jump in. Ranma clutched Ryoga, and held him in a bear hug. Ryoga fought him, and they fell to the ground, and rolled, both fighting the other for the upper hand.

"You guys!" Akane chided. "What the heck?"

The two got to their feet. Eventually, Ryoga overcame Ranma, and Ryoga punched Ranma so hard in the face, it forced Ranma to stagger back, and trip over a small stone in the grass. Ranma fell back on to his butt and Ryoga then laughed like a crazy person.

"It's mine! ALL MINE!"

Ryoga ran towards the pond, when another voice suddenly shouted out, "Time to repent for your sins, Ryoga HIbiki! I will have my vengeance!"

Ryoga stopped in his tracks and looked up.

Ranma saw him, as well.

Brimstone jumped down off the roof. But instead of attacking Ryoga, he went straight for Akane, and shoved her hard into the pond. Akane stumbled and fell in without reserve. She made a large splash and became completely submerged under the water.

"AKANE!" Ranma shouted.

"AKANE!" Ryoga shouted.

Ranma jumped into the water. The result was his immediate transformation. "Akane!"

Akane emerged, and coughed. "I'm fine, Ranma. Where is that stupid idiot?"

Ranma's eyes widened, his mouth dropped. He didn't believe his eyes. "A-Akane, you're a…"

"I'm a—what?"

"How unfortunate," Shampoo said, a hand to her mouth. "See, told you water works."

"What do you mean the water works?" Akane started to say. Then she looked down at herself, and noticed her body. Her breasts were gone and her chest was flat. Her voice was deeper. She looked into the water and saw her reflection, and screamed, to see a male face. "W-What happened to me? I'm a g-g-guy!"

She screamed again when she lifted up her skirt and saw…

"Now you know how I felt when it first happened to me," Ranma said, "only in reverse."

"T-this can't be happening?" Soun Tendo said shocked. "My little girl is now my—son?" He pointed to Ranma. "This is your fault, Ranma! Fix it!"

"I-I don't know how," he said, genuinely frightened. Soun Tendo could be very scary at times.

Ryoga ran across the yard to Brimstone and jumped on him. He pinned the priest to the ground. "You son-of…Change her back NOW!" he demanded, with tears in his eyes. "Change her back!"

"You love her? I loved my uncle," Brimstone retorted. "This is your punishment. Bare the sin of your actions. This is your fault, not mine. Now, Akane Tendo will forever be cursed!"

Soun Tendo was now blubbering, he couldn't control his emotions.

Ranma turned to Brimstone. "You idiot!" he said. "Your uncle is alive!

Brimstone had a moment of confusion, then said, "You lie! I saw his body on the floor of his clinic. He was laying there unmoving. Hibiki had just left. Hibiki killed him!"

Ryoga raised his fist. "I didn't kill your uncle!"

Akane suddenly caught his arm, Ryoga looked up. "No, Ryoga," Akane said, her features masculine. "Don't do it," she added.

Ranma looked at her/him with confusion.

Akane was normally instinctively violent, or that's how she was around him, whenever something ticked her off. This happening to her, should have been a major trigger. An insane trigger. Did her change alter her personality?

It shouldn't happen that way, he thought.

Akane then walloped Brimstone instead.

That's more like it, he thought.

To be continued...