AN: Thanks for the reviews! I just wanted to explain something in this AN, and that is, Ranma has been spending two months training himself to see that his curse isn't a curse, and to accept the fact he is both male and female, with no one side being better or worse then the other. And that is because he wants to see it that way, he's not being forced to by another person, but by himself. And when Ranma trains himself in something, he usually gets it down pretty fast. Now Ranma at this point in time isn't totally acceptant of his curse to the point that he does not care if he's a guy or a girl at any given point in time, but he is quite far along both mentally and emotionally. And that can be both good and bad, depending on your point of view. This was said just to explain some things that will show up in this chapter. And I'm still unsure of pairings for Ranma. I haven't decided, but I have some ideas, though nothing definite. I do have some of the other peoples pairings set in stone though
WHAT WAS ONCE FORGOTTEN
CHAPTER TWO
ACCEPTANCE HAS ITS PRICE
Washu's lab: moments later
They appeared in Washu's lab. To say those not used to the lab were impressed was like saying Ranma can jump high. Massive understatement there. The silence of awe was broken when Ryoga asked "Have I been here before? It looks familiar, but this place looks too, new, I guess." Ryoga said aloud in thought while looking around the lab.
Washu turned to him, her eyes gleaming. "You've been here before? Really?" She asked in an excited little girl tone of voice.
"Uh, yeah I think so. If this place has had an overhaul since I was here last." Ryoga said nervously.
"It had one recently. When were you here last?" she asked.
"Two, no two and a half years ago." Ryoga said.
"Hmm, I was still a prisoner then, and the lab was in level omega lock down at that point. Ha this is great! I can't wait to examine you! If you can teleport through MY level omega security shields you can probably teleport through anything. And if you've been here, this is a sub dimension connected the main one after all, and you frequently visit this planets version of Hell, then you probably can teleport any where in this reality! Tell me, have you ever been to another plant?" she asked, jumping up and down in unbridled excitement.
"Um, maybe? I think so. But how can I be sure? Those places sure did have strange skies if not though." Ryoga said shaking his head.
Washu squealed with delight, clapping her hand together while still jumping up and down. She then screamed. "What an absolutely fabulous Ginny Pig!"
"I pity you man." Ryoko told Ryoga honestly. Then she said in a happier tone of voice "Though Tenchi is going to be ecstatic when he learns that Washu has found another play thing for the moment."
Ryoga just looked ill.
"Ok, before you go stick Ryoga with a lot of needles," Ranma started, as Ryoga blanched at the thought, "Why don't you introduce us to your friends?"
"Ok. But they were just expecting you Ranma, not everyone else." Washu said.
"You thought I'd just let my daughter come here without me?" Nodoka asked with steel in her voice.
"Didn't think about that, honestly." Washu told a Nodoka who 'Hmmphed'.
As they went into the living room they found the others waiting for them. A black haired boy came up to Ryoga and said. "Hi I'm Tenchi! You must be Ranma. I hope we can be friends. Is this your girl friend?" He asked looking at Ranma.
Ranma's mouth opened and closed silently at the shock of the thought of being Ryoga's girlfriend. Laughing Ryoga said "No I'm Ryoga, the one who you just insinuated as my 'Girlfriend'" Ryoga was clutching his sides at the moment "Is Ranma."
A group blink. Another group blink. "HOW DARE YOU CALL ME ANYONES GIRLFIEND! I'M NOT THAT FAR ALONG YET!" Ranma screamed.
Everyone blinked. Everyone blinked again. Sighing Ryoga asked, "I just know I'll regret asking this one. What do you mean by 'Your not that far along yet?'"
"Well as a guy I like girls. As a girl like girls. But slowly, over the past few weeks, I've noticed in my girl form I might like guys as well." Ranma said blushing "I mean, I can notice if their attractive or not and…" the rest trailed off into muffled speech.
"What was that?" Nodoka asked eagerly.
"I said I might, that's might, be attracted to guys as well as girls in my girl form, alright! But in my guy form guys do nothing for me ok? So that's why I said 'I'm not that far along!" Ryoga stared at Ranma like she had grown a second head.
Nodoka however screamed "Even if she won't wear dresses my baby's getting better at acceptance." And then she glomped Ranma. After a mother of a glomp, Ranma asked Ryoga
"You want to leave now or something Ryoga?" Ranma asked nervously.
Ryoga shook his head for two reasons. One to signify a negative to that statement, and two to clear his head of perverted thoughts of him and Ranma's female side. 'Ryoga you pervert.' He thought to him self. 'This is Ranma. He's a guy! Even if he… DON'T EVEN GO THERE!' he mentally screamed at himself.
"No, just came as a shock that you might start liking guys as well as girls. Far cry from the old Ranma, ehh?" Ryoga asked Ranma, while getting himself calm.
"Yeh," Ranma sighed. "Well you're a lot better then the old Ryoga. We were both really big jerks.
"True. Very true Ranma." Ryoga said nodding in agreement.
"What the hell?" Ayeka screamed in confusion, "Guy form? Girl form? What's the meaning of this?" She yelled loudly waving her hands in the air.
Cleaning her right ear, then her left, Ranma sighed "One word. Jusenkyo." Katsuhito winced visibly. Ranma took note of that. "One explanation. Hot water boy, cold water girl." She said to them.
"I see." Katsuhito said nodding sagely "Then your true form is male."
"No." Ranma told a shocked room. "I have learned that both forms are my true forms. The male form is just the form I was born with." She said.
"Do you really mean that?" Nodoka asked.
"Ranma nodded. "Yes, yes I think I do." She said.
"How long have you felt this way?" Nodoka then asked.
"Um, I don't really know. It's just when this guy called my male form my TRUE form, something in me screamed 'THAT'S NOT TRUE.' I'm still unsure what it was, but, but I think it's the truth." Ranma said shaking her head.
"I never dreamed you'd make it this far!" Nodoka screamed in joy.
"Me either," Ranma then sighed. Then seeing an unholy gleam in Nodoka's eyes Ranma spat out "But your not taking me shopping for dresses now! I like pants damn it! And I still think I should keep doing what we've been doing, so tomorrow I'm going to be a guy all day!" She shouted at her mother.
"Ohh, pooh. You just have to ruin a mother's fun, don't you?" Nodoka asked.
"If it involves me in a dress, then hell yes!" Ranma shouted at her mother.
As the others stared on in shock, Katsuhito smiled and said "You truly are far along the path of accepting your duel nature. Farther then any I've met in a long time."
"So how'd you hear of Jusenkyo anyways?" Ranma asked Katsuhito.
"When you've been around as long as I have, you hear things. And you see them as well. Shall we sit down? We'd like to hear more about you."
"You four didn't tell them anything about me?" Ranma asked Washu.
"No. We didn't think we had the right. We decided you did." Washu said smiling a smile that said 'Look at me. I'm too cute to hurt.' Ranma snorted a snort that replied 'Yeah right.'
"Well we might as well sit down and get something to eat, for this will take a while.
Tsunami then Turned into Sasami and said. "Hi I'm Sasami! I'll go cook something, because I already know the story." Waving goodbye, Sasami went to her domain, the Kitchen.
"Ok it all started when I was five…" Ranma began.
Masaki living room: much latter that night
"And then I sat down to talk to you guys." Ranma said finishing her tale. "Hey, great food Sasami!" Ranma then called out.
After some shocked silence, Katsuhito spoke his thoughts first "Genma truly is an idiot of unsurpassable proportions." He said shaking his head while looking down with his right hand covering his face.
"And I still say he needs to die." Ryoko said.
"Now, is that the Goddess talking or the woman with a memory of an abusive past talking?" Katsuhito asked Ryoko sagely.
Ryoko just stared at Katsuhito with an expression that said 'No clue.' He just said "Ahh."
"Ah, you shouldn't kill the Panda." Ranma said "He's just an idiot. You can't go around killing idiots. It would take too much time." Ranma told then.
Ryoko sighed. "Can I at least make him suffer?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course." Nodoka said. An unholy light came from Ryoko's eyes as she chuckled darkly. Everyone scooted slightly away from her.
Urd, who was sitting with her sisters and Kechii that had come sometime shortly after the story had started, said "Um, I really think that we should try to fix Ranma's fear of cats. Can you image a Deity that's afraid of cats? What if he has to deal with Bast? Or someone similar?" she asked.
"It's a delicate thing, dealing with a psychosis, but your right, that needs to be done." Washu admitted. But that's for later. Right now Ranma should go to bed. Nodoka Ranma and I have an early day if we want to get Ranma into Tenchi's school."
"I'm switching schools? No more pineapple head? No more delusional kendoists? Alright!" Ranma shouted excitedly.
"Yes. Hopefully you'll be able to start tomorrow." Washu said.
"Ok. But what about my schedule? Do you think the new school will have a problem with it?" Ranma asked.
"I'll see that they don't." Both Nodoka and Washu said at the same time. They looked at each other and nodded.
"Well I'd better go to bed to." Tenchi said. Looking at Ryoga, he asked "What's wrong Ryoga?"
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just been so long that I've actually attended a school. I do all my work my self. I show up at my school every three to four months to drop off my work and get more. I just wish I could attend one." Ryoga answered glumly.
"Um, why can't you?" Tenchi asked confused.
"I get to lost." Was Ryoga's reply.
Seeing Tenchi's confusion Washu clarified. "Ryoga has an unstable class one teleport field on him. It makes it so he randomly teleports around this reality." She told Tenchi. "If you'll come with me to my lab, I have an idea. It won't cure you, not yet, but it will it think make it much easier on you. You could most probably attend school with Ranma and Tenchi." Washu said.
"What's the idea?" Ryoga asked hopefully.
"You said you have certain people you can teleport to, if you concentrate, right?" Washu asked Ryoga. He nodded. "And Ranma's one of them?" Ryoga gave another nod at that. "Then I propose that I try to adjust your teleport field so that as long as you're within a certain distance of anyone you can teleport to, you don't teleport. That will allow you to go to Tenchi's school, and stay here so I can examine you better, and hopefully get the field under your control some day, ok?" She asked. Ryoga nodded. "Then we'll go to my lab. Ranma, I'll need you in my lab as well tonight, as an example of someone he can teleport to, ok?"
Ranma said "Sure."
"Ok, lets go." And they walked away, with Tenchi muttering "Fools."
Tenchi's school: the principle's office: the next day
Ranma, Washu, and Nodoka were with the principle, trying to enroll him. Ryoga had gone in first to be enrolled and walked out happy as a drunken clam at being in school again. Now it was Ranma's turn to enroll.
"Now what's the meaning of this?" the Principle asked in a tone of aggravation.
"Meaning of what?" Nodoka asked confused.
"This." The Principle, a Mr. Noriaki said, pointing to the transfer sheet. "Under sex is listed Aquatranssexual! Is this some sort of joke?" he yelled.
"It's no joke, Mr. Noriaki." Washu, who was in her adult body said. "He suffers from a rare affliction from something called Jusenkyo, that makes it so when he's hit with hot water he's a boy, and cold water a girl. He spends every other day in either form to lessen the strain. So tomorrow he'll be coming as a girl." She said evenly.
"And you expect me to buy that Miss?" Mr. Noriaki shouted at her.
"Washu Hakubi. I'm a relative of Ranma's and a noted scientist. Ranma, if you would demonstrate for the nice man?" She asked Ranma sweetly.
"Sure." He said sighing, taking out two thermoses he had brought for just such a case.
After he turned into a she, Mr. Noriaki's jaw dropped. There was no way that this was the same boy! He had lost height and was very obviously female. Then he was the same boy again.
"What? How?" Mr. Noriaki muttered in shock.
"As I said, Ranma suffers from a Jusenkyo affliction. He will be come here as a male and a female for the same reasons." Washu said.
"This is highly irregular." Mr. Noriaki protested meekly.
"I don't care how irregular it is!" Nodoka snapped. "Doing that is what's best for my child, and I do what's best for him!" She said coldly.
Mr. Noriaki shivered at her words. Deciding that being on his good side was what is best for his health, especially with the way she fingered that katana all the time, he said "Ok, well start working it all out. I'll call Ranma's home room teacher in here to let her know about this. She'll be explaining it to his other teachers. Anything else I should know about?" he asked.
"I prefer to addressed in the form of the form I'm in at the time." Ranma stated.
"Huh?" Mr. Noriaki asked confused.
"What my son meant was, if he's a boy, he should be addressed as such, but if she's a girl, address her as one." Nodoka said.
"Does this affection affect his mind as well?" Mr. Noriaki asked dumbly, not quite getting why they said that.
"Gods no." Washu said while Ranma and Nodoka stiffened with offence. "Ranma is mentally always the same Ranma." She assured Mr. Noriaki.
Nodding Mr. Noriaki reached for his phone. "Sakura? Can you please get Ms. Ariau in here? It's about one of her new students. Yes he's going to be a special case for her. Yes just send her in when she gets here. Thank you Sakura."
Ranma's classroom: Later
'Getting to go to school as both a guy and a girl here was hard.' Ranma thought sitting in class waiting for his next teacher to come in. 'But Mom and Washu prevailed. It was funny to watch.' He thought chuckling. Looking at Ryoga, he thought 'And Washu made it so if Ryoga is within five hundred feet of me he won't teleport from school. Man was he ecstatic. I guess he'll be sticking around for a while.' Leaning back he thought 'Explaining and showing the change to the class was fun. And then answering the questions on why I was doing the split days was time consuming. But why did all these girls look like that?' He thought, thinking of the looks of, something that Ranma couldn't identify in those girls eyes. What ever it was creeped him out.
The day went with him proving his curse to each teacher, and being totally lost in the curriculum. Ryoga was happy however. He knew most of this stuff. But having it explained to him was so much better then doing it on his own.
Then the end of the day came, and they took the bus home
The Masaki House: after Ranma got home
Ranma had come into Washu's lab to ask a favor. "So, what was it you wanted to ask me?" Washu asked while mixing some chemicals.
"Well, Washu, you're pretty smart…" Ranma started when Washu said
"That's something of an understatement dear."
"Yeah, well, I was wondering if you could tutor me?" Ranma asked. "I, I'm bad at school. I don't understand what the teacher is teaching. I never have. When I went to mom about this today, she said it was because I lacked the 'background learning' or something." Ranma told Washu.
Washu put her chemicals down and asked "Why did I never think of that? You were thrust into high school, without ever being in grade school for more then a month at a time. It's amazing you're not flunking. Ranma get all your school books. I'll help you. We'll see how bad off you are, and then I'll go over the necessary back ground for you. I think everyone will be surprised with you in a few months." Washu told Ranma. He nodded and went to get his books. They then spent three hours to get Ranma's measure.
"That's enough Ranma." Washu finally told him. "I think I know what we need to work on now. We'll start when you get home tomorrow, so come strait to the lab when you get home, ok?" Ranma was about to speak when Washu said "I'll have your food here." Ranma just nodded his head and said
"Then I'll think I'll just get some practice done before diner." He said standing up and gathering his things.
"Ok. See you at dinner then." Washu said eyeing her poor neglected chemicals.
Outside the Masaki home: near Ranma's practicing
Ryoko had been taking Ranma's advice, for she had been avoiding Tenchi all day. She found Ayeka Sitting by a tree watching Ranma practice. 'He's even more impressive in person.' She thought watching him practice as she made her way over to Ayeka. She may be a stuffy Princess, and her main rival for Tenchi's love, but she was still her best friend.
She paused. 'When did I start thinking of her as my best friend?" she asked her self in her mind. 'I mean, if one of us does snag Tenchi, then, then how could we stand each other?' she thought to her self. 'I need to talk to her about this, now.' She thought.
Sitting down next to Ayeka, Ryoko asked "What are you doing?"
"Watching Ranma." Ayeka said. "He's very good."
"And kind of cute too?" Ryoko asked hopefully "I thought your heart belonged to Tenchi?" She asked.
"And so it does." Ayeka said stiffly. "That does not mean I can not look at, how do they say it here on earth? Ah yes prime beefcake." Ayeka told Ryoko.
"True, true. And Ranma certainly is that." Ryoko admitted, looking at Ranma. Changing the subject to, less pleasant maters, Ryoko asked Ayeka "Have you ever thought of this? Where will the other of us be if one of us does snatch Tenchi up?"
"Huh?" Ayeka asked Ryoko confused.
"We're friends, right? I see you as my best friend at least. I mean sure we're rivals for Tenchi's heart and all, and you can certainly act like a stuck up Princess," Ryoko was interrupted by Ayeka who said
"And you can act like a rude I'll mannered barbarian, but yes, we are friends. You might be right, for I think you really are my best friend as well." Ayeka admitted. "I never even thought of that? When did it happen?" she asked.
"Who knows?" Ryoko said. "It surprised me as well when I realized it." She admitted. She then said "Do you really think that our friendship could survive one of us snagging Tenchi though? The bitterness wouldn't consume us?" Ryoko asked looking down.
"What are you saying? That we should both give up on Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked shocked.
"No. of course not." Ryoko said hotly. Cooling down, Ryoko said "WE both love him to damn much to do that. I just wonder if we can stay friends after one of us is with him." She said looking down.
They both stayed silent for a while. Then Urd came out of her hiding place in the shadows and asked "Why don't you share him?" They turned to look at her, and she said "It's really very simple. I've been asking around. It seems that because He's going to be the next Emperor he supposed to have two wives. That's supposed to, as in he needs to have to wives. So make sure you're both his wife." She said sitting down next to them. "And you're right. He is grade A prime beef cake. It's a shame all his previous fiancées treated him like that." Urd said shaking her head while looking down.
"I never thought of that." Ayeka said shocked. "Of course the Emperor has two wives. It's been tradition for millennia." She said.
"And we just think of this now?" Ryoko asked slapping her forehead. "What do you say? We work together and share?" she asked her friend.
"We could try." She admitted nervously.
"I suggest you include her on your studies with Ranma." Urd said. Seeing Ayeka's blank look, Urd clarified. "Ranma's giving Ryoko advice on how to get Tenchi. As some one who was in a similar experience, one that went all wrong all the time though, I think you should listen to him, if he'll help you both that is." Urd said standing, and walking away.
After Ranma stopped, Ryoko called him over. He was nervous till they explained what they wanted.
"So, you just realized that he needs two wives after you were asking yourselves if your friendship could survive his choosing one of you? And now you want to make sure that both of you get him? Sure I'll help. I'll say the same thing I said to Ryoko, use a soft touch." At Ayeka's look of confusion, he explained the difference between a soft touch and a hard one. Continuing with his advice, he said "I suggest that, while the two of you keep your distance from him, you get used to being with each other. Not that way!" he said waving his hands in front of him at seeing their looks. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean if you both marry the guy, you'll be around each other a lot, so just spend a lot of time together, so you're comfortable being around each other and don't fight or nothing like that! If you work well together, then Tenchi will be more comfortable with being with both of you." He sighed as their looks of fury died down. "Though at some point someone should explain to him that he needs two wives as well." They nodded at that.
Sniffing himself Ranma said. "Well I stink. I'm going clean up before dinner, bye. We can talk about this later." He said heading for the house to clean up.
AN: As I said, I only have a few of the pairings set in stone, and Ranma's is not one of them. But Tenchi's is, though it should be a while before those three are a trinity. Well how did I do? This chapter wasn't as long, but it met my goal of every chapter being at least ten pages, so I was ok with it. And I felt that stopping here was good. If you have anyone you'd like to see together, please let me know in a review. It might happen. Like I said, I have ideas but nothing definite yet on all the pairings. And to those who think I'm setting Ranma and Ryoga up together, while I have nothing against that pairing, I think I might have someone in mind for Ryoga. Thank you for reading this fic.
