An unusual disclaimer: Ranma ½ is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. And Son Turned Daughter was originally written way back in 2002 by the FanFiction author Tangent, and his characters Megumi, Yasushi and Ayane have, likewise, been borrowed without permission. Please see the first two chapters of this story under his pen name. This story is written for non-commercial purposes only.
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And the debate about Ranma's cursed form is stirred. Read my interpretation at the bottom of this chapter.
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"My Venus of the Dawn!" somebody called out, coming through the arena doors they were headed for.
Ranma had no problem realized who that somebody was. Doing a rapid contortion of expressions, her face settled on a smiling one. "It's you, Kuno." It wasn't a perfect smile.
Genma did not smile. He could barely control his anger. (And the dark blue Male Flower of Weakness in Ranma's hands turned its unopened blossom towards him.)
"Kuno?" Nodoka, directly beside him, thought she had heard that name recently.
"Is stickboy who have big picture of Ranma!" Shampoo recognized the boy who had told her how to find the house the redhead was staying.
"He's Kodachi's big brother." It was hard, but Ranma managed to appear pleasant. Ranma had long sworn not to show male aggressiveness towards him because that was idiot's fetish. And after meeting Kodachi in that shop, she understood why and knew absolutely she would have to seem more like a girl than a guy around him. In fact, only the presence of her mom and the amazon kept her from going girly-girl on the guy. "You missed her. Your sister's no longer here, Kuno."
"I am no longer within the confines of the Kuno domicile, so there is no necessity for me to know the whereabouts of my wayward sister. I am here because it is past due my bath time and the Black Rose has appropriated the services of my manservant! I cannot wash my own back, now can I!?"
"What is it about we Japanese and our need for somebody else to wash our backs?" Nodoka shook her head. She had been forced to do without regular back washes for ten years, now. When she felt like indulging, she had used professional sansukes. But she counted her Western back scrubber implement as another small victory over her Traditionalist upbringing.
"I am so blessed to have a daughter like Kasumi who washes her father's back!" Soun said, tears running down his cheeks.
"You want to be a girl, Ranma? It's traditional for the daughter to-"
"Forget it, Old Man! When'd you wash my back!?" (And the Male Flower of Weakness twisted its unopened blossom towards him.)
"Shampoo miss clean back. In village, there always kohai who wash back of senpai," she sighed.
The group was getting unwanted attention for blocking not only the exit but the traffic of potential customers to the concession stands that had opened during the trade fair. (Luckily for everybody, there weren't enough dangerous and cursed plants to extend past the field of the arena.)
They were saved from security guards by Ranma's stomach. And when it growled, others followed.
And so, again, Kuno offered to treat Ranma's date group.
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They were all seated in the food court, each with a fried food, takoyaki, octopus balls, being a favorite.
"But, excuse my lack of manners. Let me introduce myself to those of you who have not put my name and face to my well-reputed exploits. I am none other than Tatewaki Kuno, samurai kendo-master at the remarkable age of seventeen! Nay, well-before this present age! And samurai I am, in truth, for I am the Lord of Nerima and heir to the vast financial empire of 9 Abilities, Ltd."
He did not bow. But he showed his magnanimity by not requiring the others to bow before him.
"And, pray tell, who may I be addressing. Ranma, the Star of the Rising Sun, I, of course, know. (Though I would feign to know better). And this Exotic Orchid of the East of us, I have met, though not formally by name. May I ask if, besides Ranma, you found the hair cleaner you sought?"
"Shampoo no look for hair cleaner, stupid, long-winded stickboy. Shampoo is name of Shampoo!" (And the Male Flower of Weakness in front of her turned its unopened blossom towards her.)
"A remarkable product to need no further identification other than the generic name of the product itself."
"If I may, Master," Sasuke said, leaping into view. "The name of this girl, or so she has told me, is Shampoo."
"Shampoo of Joketsuzoku, and tribe of great warrior womens!"
"I really should write that down," the short ninja said, searching his ninja suit. "Ah!" he said, bringing out a little notepad and pencil. "How do you spell Joketsuzoku?"
"Sasuke!"
"Yes, Master. This woman is the mother of Romeo Saotome."
"Romeo Saotome!" Kuno's hand instantly went to the hilt of his wooden sword. (And the Male Flower of Weakness opened its blossom towards him!)
Nodoka wished she still had her real sword.
"Leave my mother alone!" the redhead said, getting between the two to protect her. (And the Male Flower of Weakness aimed itself towards her!)
"I intend no injury or malice towards the woman! It is to her Son, Romeo, I have a score of vengeance to settle!"
"Excuse me, Miss Ranma. But…," and Sasuke consulted his notepad, "according to my sources, Mrs. Saotome (previous married name also Saotome) is the mother of only Romeo Saotome, your step-brother (father unknown). You are the daughter of one Genma Saotome by another mother from a previous marriage."
"I am? Oh, yes. I guess that is the story about me and Romeo." Things were getting too complicated.
"You mean she is your "mother" in the social, not the biological, sense, correct?" the ninja asked.
Ranma saw her mother felt uncomfortable about being challenged to lie. She came to her rescue, "That's right. She didn't give birth to this body. That woman was Chinese." Okay, that was assuming the girl who drowned at Jusenkyo actually was Chinese.
"Ranma, My Shining Venus, is Chinese?" Kuno asked.
"Chinese, but no Chinese Chinese, no Han! Many different type of people live in big-big country of China!
"Body of Ranma belong member of Tocharian people who come to land of China 4,000 year past! Shampoo know many too, too tragic story about them!"
"I am at a loss. Tell me, My Purple-locked Rakugoka, is Ranma's ancestry Chinese or not?"
"Most people of China have black hair. And, is true, Shampoo no have black hair. Have hair of Guizi! Is why tribe of Shampoo move away from most people of China! Many have different hair! Make black-hair people of past too, too queasy!"
"Ranma, then, is a Guizi, too!" Kuno smiled, thinking he understood, at last.
"Tocharian! Some of tribe of Shampoo have red hair. More have green hair." And she lifted the pigtail. "This hair too, too red, must be Tocharian."
"But I have red hair," Nodoka said, placing her hand on it.
"Must have Tocharian ancestor. But hair of this body too, too red, must be pure Tocharian. And have blues eyes, too!"
"I see," Sasuke said, scratching his chin with his pencil. "I believe I heard about the Tocharian… They were Europeans who came to East Asia some 4,000 years ago. Or, rather, they were closely related to the Europeans with red hair, like the Basque and Irish, far on the other side of Eurasia."
He started writing. "So, the biological mother of Ranma Saotome is of Asian European descent."
He, then, said, "I know Mr. Tendo. Am I to assume that you are Genma Saotome, the man who married this woman of nearly European genetics?"
"That's it!" Genma rose with a roar! "I will not let this Farce continue!" He reached down to pick his female son by her blouse front.
This brought him too close to the open Male Flower of Weakness - It released its pollen!
Genma sucked most of it in as he drew in air to yell Ranma's name!
He coughed! And dropped back down onto the chair.
"Pop!?" Ranma cried. , "Genma! My husband!" , "Genma! My friend!"
"Stupid man!" Shampoo said. "No get strong near Flower of Weakness." But, then, she had been to Yakusai, the village famous for trading in herbal medicine and poisons.
Genma put his hand to his chest and caught his breath.
Opening his eyes, he saw the flower. "Oh, how lovely!" And picked up the pot to hold. "May I keep this, Dear Nodoka?"
"It does make a man weak?!" Nodoka gasped in horror. "I never intended to use it on my husband, honest! I just meant to threaten him so he would come to bed with me!"
"You want me to go to bed with you?" There was a pained look on his face. But he bowed his head, and said, "If that is what you wish, Dearest."
"Is antidote on little tag?" Shampoo suggested.
Ranma grabbed the pot away from her pop.
And he said to her, "You could have asked," and looked on the edge of tears.
"... It only says you hafta cut off the leaves and put the flower on a person's head. It don't say nothin' about no other attack!"
"Then large, stupid man no stay this way." And Shampoo took the pot and gave it back to the large, stupid man. "But maybe if man keep being stupid, flower keep man weak! Maybe always!"
Genma hugged the pot to him. "Thank you," he teared.
"Aw, geez! Much as Pop deserves this, I can't see him like this. Mom, you got enough money to buy a-"
"The Male Flower of Love! This will change my life! You just wait until you see the change in me, Grandmother! The Daimonji School of Martial Arts Tea Ceremony is going manly! Macho! Machismo!"
And the group watched a young man in a martial arts dogi stride by with a flower in his head.
"Never mind, Mom."
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The sun was just setting this spring day as they all finally left the arena.
Kuno had Sasuke, and, so, he left to take his bath.
And the Saotome group decided it was time to return to the Tendo house.
Soun cried for his old friend, and Genma cried because his old friend was crying.
"Now, I don't know if I want to go to bed with my husband."
"Mom! I really don't wanna hear things like that about you and pop!"
Shampoo giggled. "Make little man strong and, maybe, rest of large man be strong, too."
"Oh, dear! Do you think so, Shampoo?" Nodoka studied her weak husband, wrestling with her own desires. "I shall not have a better opportunity to get my husband to at least be there for his conjugal duty."
Then, she put her hand to mouth and giggled herself. "I just had a thought! And it would be the perfect way to celebrate the re-union of a wife with her husband after ten years apart.
"Mr. Tendo, you know Nerima. Do you where there's a good love motel?"
Both Soun and Genma wailed rivers of tears. But for opposite reasons.
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And, so, it was just Ranma, Shampoo and Soun. And the pink Female Flower of Love.
"So, I am the one left with chaperone duty, am I?" Then he said, more to himself, "Appropriate, considering how long I have abstained."
He remembered that the heir to the schools was there. He put on a happy face. "Yes, and it's done me a world of good, Son! It has concentrated my ki energies to phenomenal proportions! I dare say, I shall be able to perform amazing martial arts feats!"
"Is all man of Japan stupid? Shampoo can read battle aura potential."
"She's right, Mr. Tendo," Ranma said, "Yours has more potential power than non-combat martial artists, but you've let it grow rusty."
"What Did You Say!?" demanded Mr. Tendo's monstrous-sized head. His battle aura had taken on the perfect cast of a classic demon, with frowning, flashing eyes, flaring nostrils, and long, snaking tongue out of a wickedly grinning mouth!
Worse, it carried the feel of a demon!
Even Shampoo was startled and intimidated! She almost dropped her flower.
The giant head shrank back and Mr. Tendo took on his usual form. "Consider that a warning from your chaperone."
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"Shampoo no can do. But loud girl say Shampoo can talk. Shampoo talk about Joketsuzoku, Village of Woman Heroes. Ranma there, see only women warriors!"
"Geez! Don'tyou got no men?"
"Have mans! Mans live in Danketsuzoku! Only hero man good enough for hero woman! Must defeat woman in combat with woman!"
"You sayin' both the girls and the guys train to be fighters?"
"Who does the housework?" Soun asked.
Shampoo gave him a harsh glare. "Shampoo learn Demon Head Technique and make tear man cry!
"Okay. Now I understand more about how your tribe works," Ranma said. "The "amazon" part is only half of the tribe."
"Is true. Boy live in boy village. Girl live in girl village. Know only same sex until marriage."
"I assume there is a neutral ground where the two sexes meet to perform their duties as a married couple," Soun said.
"Is true. Tribe has love motel."
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Though Ranma was still clueless about where Shampoo's "talk" was headed, Soun thought he knew.
"Oh, look! The light is on in Dr. Tofu's clinic, I see," Mr. Tendo said. "Perhaps we should go in and pay our respects. After all, Shampoo, you do plan on being in Nerima for a while, do you not? Everybody in Nerima should know the good doctor."
"Is time for bed soon," Shampoo said.
"Ranma!" Greeted the doctor, coming out onto the small entrance patio. "I thought I had felt a disturbance."
"A disturbance?" Soun asked. "But we haven't caused any disturbance. Even our trip to today's exhibition in the arena was relatively without incident."
"I'm talking about the disturbance of auras, of course. Every aura interacts with other auras. The greater the interaction, the more the disturbance is passed along to other auras in a chain reaction."
"All know that!" Shampoo frowned.
"Uh, not everybody can read or even believe in aura in this country," Soun informed her.
"Then country stupid!"
"As I was saying, I felt a disturbance and thought it might be from you. And now that I see you, I know it is from you. Will you come into my clinic?"
"Shampoo come with Ranma, too!"
"I would like to accompany the boy and his date, myself," Soun said.
"Date?" the doctor's glasses slipped down his nose. He then pushed them back up his nose. "I don't think that would be good for my patient. This should be between Ranma and his doctor. At least, for now."
"Then, we will leave you here in Tofu's capable hands. Come, Shampoo."
Shampoo wouldn't let the man drag her away.
She frowned at the healer.
Then frowned at the redhead.
Then she frowned at both of the men. "Shampoo read aura, too. This is about blood-time of Ranma."
"What!?" cried Soun in manly horror. ; "What?" Ranma said, still not getting it.
Dr. Tofu gave up. "Yes, Shampoo, it is. I would have preferred Ranma had heard the news from me.
Ranma, come inside and I can give you some feminine hygiene products and advice on coping with this period of your life."
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"Shampoo, do you really have to be here with us?" Dr. Tofu asked.
"Shampoo know all about curse of womans. Now Ranma soon know about curse of womans body."
"Let her stay, Doc. I got a feelin' I'm gonna need all the help I can get from women. I ain't gonna get it from men. Mr. Tendo got outta here as fast as he could when you started talkin' about the details."
"Is true! Time of blood! Time of birth! And all other Time of Being Woman is Time for Womans Being Together! Mans no understand. Mans no want understand."
"But, for Ranma, there also has to be a time for being with a man who does understand. ...Well, as far as my personal professional training and experience allows."
"Shampoo see. Ranma real man. Real man need Time for Mans. Shampoo leave but wait."
But before she did, she left the Female Flower of Love.
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"Shampoo comes from a village near Jusenkyo," Ranma explained. "I think of everybody I know, she may understand my curse the best.
"Except, you, Doc."
"I see. That's why you are dating her."
"I'm dating her 'cuz she'll go back tryin' to kill me if I don't! Enough about her. What about me?!
"We're s'pose to have a guy-talk?" The redhead said, "Look, I haven't had many chances to stay a guy. I haven't had much chance to deal with my girl memories as a guy. And, to tell you the truth, I know if I don't change, I won't have to deal with them! I been sorta hidin' from them."
"I understand, Ranma. I have been doing research. It suggests that female brains are better at dealing with certain issues because, throughout the millennia, they have had to. Those that could hleft more children than those who couldn't. That's not to say it makes them any less stressful and a threat to their mental health. It just means that they are more likely to overcome those than a male brain is. Again, each person is their own variable, with some succeeding better than others of the same sex. There are still children from those women who couldn't really deal with the issues.
"Take homosexual acts. If a person is heterosexual, women, with exceptions, are more likely to cope with the experience than men, again, with exceptions. Not that that is justification for somebody forcing the act upon somebody!"
" ' sounds like a lot of ifs, ands, or buts, to me. What has this got to do with…."
"Your period. It doesn't. But…" he glanced out the door Shampoo had left. "I think it is something you should know."
And he took off his glasses and wiped them. "Akane will not be able to deal with the issue.
"I will not judge, but Akane will." He put the glasses back on and looked directly at Ranma. "Remember, performing homosexual acts with a woman does not make you a homosexual. And, neither does it affirm your male heterosexuality."
"Okay? Do you want to tell me more plainly what you're talking about?"
"No. It is up to you to discover yourself for yourself, and where your boundaries are. Feel free to come to me for counseling.
"Now, about your menstruation, or period. I have some hot water here. I think you should be able to change back and forth even during your heaviest flows." And he poured from the electric teakettle.
Ranma's green blouse filled out to look more like a shirt and his black pants became looser.
He covered his face at the memory of what his mom had thought of the living room full of women's apparel, and, worse, what she thought of his unmanly underwear! Man, it was more difficult for a guy to deal with girl things! At least for him. Man! He should get away for a long time and be where he could stay a guy - just see if he could deal with girl memories!
"I do not like telling you this, Ranma, but I advise you remain a woman as long and often as you can. You need to let the blood flow out. There will be a build up and, then, a flood, if you remain a man for too long before you become woman, again."
"Geez! Man! How long before I can stay a guy?!"
"Menstruation can last up to seven days but can be as few as two days. Since magic is involved, I cannot promise you will have a period like other women.
"I do know something about Chinese medicine and magic, so if you have problems not described by the pamphlets I'm giving you, or that Kasumi…. Kasumi…. Kasumi…."
The brunet knew it was time to get out of there with the booklets.
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The young man came out of the examination room with a drawstring bag he was wearing as a backpack. Inside there were samples of feminine hygiene products and basic pairs of panties. In his hand were the pamphlets and booklets the Doc wanted him to read.
Shampoo was in the lobby of the clinic. Her first words to the boy she had just met for the first time were, "Where Flower of Love?"
"Man! I left it in the Doc's office."
"Give Shampoo little books and get!"
Ranma did only because he didn't feel like arguing.
But before he could get it, Dr. Tofu came out with the potted plant. "Look! A flower for Kasumi! A Malva amoritus! It is the perfect gift to give the perfect woman!"
"Yeah, Doc. Why don't I deliver it?"
"Would you, Ranma? Just be sure not to smell it! And, most of all, don't put it in your hair! Those are only for women who don't mind being a woman!"
"Thanks, Doc! I won't." And the black-haired guy took the flower from him.
Shampoo then dragged him out the clinic door with a "Zàijiàn! Zàijiàn!"
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They were on their way back to the Tendos, now. "Where are the pamphlets?"
"Shampoo throw away. Womans know more about blood-time than stupid book man write! And Shampoo know more Chinese medicine and magic than Japanese doctor!"
"You were listening at the door!"
"Shampoo already say, sneak okay if no attack with goal of maim, kill!"
"Okay, Shampoo, tell me what I got I can expect. But, I'm tellin' you, I'm checkin' with Big Sister Kasumi!"
"Is called blood-time because that what happen! But Shampoo warrior! Blood no trouble for Shampoo! Ranma great warrior, too!" Then her voice softened, "Ranma and Shampoo face blood and battle together."
"Okay, blood! The Doc talked about that. But what's the battle?"
"Ranma! I can't believe I actually found you!" cried a boy in a travel pack running towards them.
"Ryoga! You're gettin' better at not stayin' loss, I see." (Meanwhile, Shampoo frowned at the interrupter)
"Yes! I guess I am. Hey, could I sleep with you again?" (Now, Shampoo glared!)
"Sure. Just don't become Burin-chan and let Akane cuddle you," the guy frowned at the other guy.
"Thanks! Look, I brought you Koshihikari rice from Nigata!" he said, holding up the package.
"You been to Nigata and back in just a few hours? That's clear on the other side of the island, over the mountains!"
"I told you, when I get lost, I get lost."
"Get lost!" Shampoo told him.
"I'm sorry! I didn't talk to you because I was just so excited about seeing Ranma!"
"Ryoga, this is Shampoo. She came from just outside Jusenkyo to kill me."
"We have something in common! I went to Jusenkyo to kill Ranma."
"You stupid and get curse, too?"
"Hey! Ranma and his panda pop also got cursed! And the only reason I got cursed was because they knocked me in!"
"Shampoo is from the girl half of a tribe of warriors, Ryoga. I mean everybody in it's gotta be a warrior!"
"And Shampoo best girl warrior of age group! Beat fifteen boy warriors! No boy defeat Shampoo, yet!"
"What about girl warriors?"
Shampoo got a wicked smile. "Shampoo have many kohai. Even senpai, Shampoo make kohai!"
"Look, we're back at the Tendos."
The gates and the doors were as if Shampoo had never wrecked them. They all remembered she had, but none of them seemed to think it was worth commenting on. But magic had not destroyed them, so why were they now as good as old? Even Nabiki could not tell you about the Nerima Un-Wrecking Company. Only Kasumi could, but she wouldn't.
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"Ranma, Shampoo, and Ryoga, too! You've all arrived safely!" Kasumi greeted the guests.
"Hello, Kasumi-san."
"Hi, Big Sis. Here, Shampoo. Here's your flower."
"Nihhao! Ranma keep flower."
"No way! This flower's s'pose to make you love bein' a girl! I like bein' a girl sometimes, but I don't want to want to be a girl!"
"The, the flower does that(!)?" Ryoga said, backing away from it.
Shampoo ignored him. "Ranma, is part of ancient Chinese medicine. When have blood and in middle of womens battle, smell."
"No, thanks! I been in plenty of battles, and I only use chemicals when I absolutely gotta. Here, Kasumi! It's a Female Flower of Love. Don't get the idea it's from me. Shampoo bought it at a show full of dangerous and cursed plants. I still have to keep Kodachi from usin' her flowers."
"Oh, my, dangerous!?" Kasumi reluctantly accepted it. "Well, I shouldn't be in danger. I already love being female."
"But they said "cursed", too," Ryoga said. "Whoever smells that may get a curse."
"Shut up, man!" Ranma growled, hurrying up to the guest room."
Shampoo followed. "Ranma no need flower, has curse now!"
"Oh, my! Has it been that long since Ranma's been becoming a girl!" Kasumi said, following them.
The plant remained in her hands.
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Meanwhile, two others were out in the sand and cinder dust arena in front of the dojo. The only light was from the house and the gibbous moon.
"It's getting late, Akane," Nabiki said. "How long are you going to be out here breaking your cinderblocks? It's a school day tomorrow. Tuesday? You already missed today's classes."
"I'll do make-ups! HaiYa!" the long-haired girl cried, smashing another! Around her were the remains of five blocks. Remains, not halves.
Akane took one of the halves she had made of this one and positioned on top of two other halves. She intended to continue halving every block available until all she could do was turn them to dust!
"You said you understood why Ranma had to date this Shampoo killer chick."
"I understand why, I don't have to like it!"
Nabiki crossed her arms under her bust. "And what, exactly, is your problem with the date? That it's between Ranma and another girl? Or that it's between two girls?"
"Yes!"
"Here! Cool off," Nabiki held out a water bottle.
"I want to be hot and sweaty!"
"Oo! Like you image they are?"
"Knock it off, Nabiki!" And she knocked the bottle out of her sister's hand.
It's water splashed on somebody who had just left the house by the side door. "Bwee!"
"Burin-chan!" Akane cried. "I mean, Ryoga!" And she rushed to pick up the cute pig.
"You found us!" she smiled, cuddling it in her arms, pushing it against the canvas of her dogi. "I'm taking you inside so you can't wander off. I still have your leash."
"Akane, that is really a boy, you know."
"Of course, I know, Nabiki! But I feel sorry for him. You should have heard the things he told us about last night. He's had a hard life. For three years, he's been basically homeless."
"So, you put him on a leash? Think about it. It would be outrageously kinky if he were human, on a leash and…," Nabiki tried to peek at a certain part of its anatomy, "only wearing a bandana."
"If it's alright for Ranma to be treated like a girl while he's a girl, it's alright for Ryoga to be treated like a pet while he's a pig."
End of discussion, as Akane opened the side door.
She stopped as the male Ranma passed her in a sour mood.
Then came Shampoo with a potted flower.
And, finally, Big sister Kasumi. "Ranma's going to do his bleeding in the bath room."
"Bleeding!?" But they had already passed her by. She and Burin-chan followed. "What's wrong?! Why is Ranma bleeding?!"
"Akane!" Nabiki told her clueless sister. "Ranma spent weeks returning from the Cursed Springs!"
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Bang! Bang! Ranma knocked on the closed door of Mr. Tendo's room. "Aren't you comin' to for the show!?"
The was no reply. Just whimpers.
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Kasumi tried to shoo her sisters away. "We do not all have to come in. We have all seen menstrual blood."
"Kasumi's right, Akane," Nabiki said. "This is a job for a big sister."
"But I want to support Ranma! Ranma's my friend!"
"The most friendly thing you can do for the guy, now, is to let him have what privacy Big Sis and the battle maiden will give him.
"Tell you what, you show me yours, and I'll…. No. Even I don't think that's funny."
"Bwee! Bwee!"
"Nabiki! Come back here with Burin-chan!"
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Ranma kicked off his pants.
"Ranma, could you please use cold water before you remove your, uh, 'boxers'," Kasumi asked, keeping her eyes down.
Ranma just dipped his head under the shower wand on the wall. But he was already pulling down his tap panties.
Just in time, his male sex was replaced by her female sex.
She didn't bother taking the shorts-like panties off, only taking them as far down as she could easily see in them over her boobs.
There was more than just blood on the silk.
And a small amount leaked from her sex.
"Is heavy light day," Shampoo said.
"I didn't need to come in here for this!" Ranma growled.
"But this is your first period. And we don't know, yet, what yours will be like," Kasumi said.
"And magic of curse can make blood-time different!" Shampoo said.
"But it isn't too heavy, yet," Kasumi said. "It just seems that way because you were a man and couldn't bleed like women. If you stay a man, when you do change into a woman, again, you will bleed more than a normal woman does even on her heavy days. Hot water does increase period flow."
"Yeah, yeah! I hear you."
"Is happy time! Is good news for young woman who no want be mommy, yet!"
"Oh, yes. I am so~o happy.
"Here, the Doc gave me things," she took the drawstring bag from off her back. "Tell me what to use, and how to use them, Kasumi."
"Stupid modern medicine. Where Shampoo come from, use rag, mesh bag with potpourri, and this!" Shampoo said, thrusting the Female Flower of Love at the redhead's nose.
Ranma put her hand to her nose, ready to pinch it closed. "Shampoo!"
"Is good Chinese medicine! When Shampoo buy, Shampoo think another Flower of Love! Now know is medicine for womans!"
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"Here are the two futons from the guest room, Akane," Ryoga said.
The table of the common room was over her head. "Good, I've moved the two we keep in the living room for emergencies into here. Now, I'm putting this there."
"Why do we all have to sleep here?"
"Because I don't trust the Chinese sneak! We can all keep an eye on her while we sleep!"
Then they could be heard coming down the hall.
"I still don't know what cramps have to do with the Women's Battle, Shampoo."
"Is like when warrior battle with one technique! Use too-too much, muscles cramp!" She still had that plant with her.
"I get fatigued when I use the same technique too often," Ryoga said.
"Stupid boy! Tired no true part of blood-time, cramps is!" Shampoo told him. To Ranma, she told, "And bloating! Bloating worse than cramps!"
"Yes, it can be. After hard exercise, I have drunk too much and felt bloated, and had headaches and felt nauseous."
"This no about drinking, stupid boy! And bloating in womans worse than bloating in mens! Must be hero and warrior on!"
"Oh, wonderful," Ranma said.
"And, yet, it is because women have less water in our bodies than men do, Ranma," Kasumi said, bringing a platter of nighttime snacks and pharmaceuticals. "Here are the salty or sweet things you'll feel like having, depending on your mood swing. Salt is important. I have also brought some ibuprofen sodium, and other medicines for headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and gas.
"You probably won't need them this night, Ranma. But be sure to inform us if you have symptoms these won't help with. Promise, Little Sister?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Promise, Little Brother?"
"Probably. I won't know until I become a guy again."
"Then I shall leave you people to have your slumber party. I have already left a pitcher of water. Ryoga, if you feel too uncomfortable being the only boy here, feel free to become Burin-chan."
"If you do, I can make sure you don't wander off in the middle of the night!"
"You mean like last night?" And Ryoga shuddered.
"Gimme a bandana! You're sleeping tied to me tonight!" the redhead said!
"Shampoo sleep on other side of Ranma!"
"I'm sleeping there! This is my house!"
"I think I will become the pig. I don't want to sleep with you being a girl. Or with any girl! It, it...wouldn't be gentlemanly. Yeah, that's it!"
"Then Shampoo sleep on other side of Ranma!"
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The next battle had been against Shampoo sleeping in the nude like she wanted. Ranma had teamed up with Akane to win that battle. The pig merely ran outside to get a nosebleed before the amazon had gotten out of any clothes.
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"Hello, Burin-chan. You made it back," the redhead, in her chemise top, and brief panties beneath loose tap panties, said from on top of her futon. "Akane thinks Shampoo can fit into one of Nabiki's loose pajamas."
"Bwee?"
"Yeah. Shampoo's not gonna like it. But I told her it's the only way she can sleep by me."
The redhead became lost in thought. She petted the little pig without even realizing she was.
And she smiled.
"Shampoo was right. And Kasumi made it right. Women need other women. A woman's problem brings them closer together. Women are more friendly than guys. They gotta be."
She looked at the pink Female Flower of Love.
She stretched and brought it over before her. And stared at it.
Shampoo came back in one of Nabiki's pajama tops but Akane's bottoms. Bustier Nabiki was taller than Shampoo, but Akane was just a little shorter.
"Is stupid. Too, too much clothes, get all tangled inside! Shampoo wear just lingerie she wear today."
"No! You sleep in pj's or you don't sleep with us at all! Isn't that right, Ranma?
"Ranma? Are you listening?"
"Yeah, I'm listening. Tell me, Akane. Which of your sisters know the most about makeup?"
"Kasumi. Nabiki does the flashy kind, when she uses makeup."
"Then I'm gonna get Nabiki to put makeup on me!" Ranma said, picking up the flower pot.
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Does the cursed redhead have the body of the original girl who drowned 1,500-years ago? Or is she what Ranma would be if he were born a girl, his sister? My answer is both. One of the X chromosomes Ranma carries is his own. But a girl's body needs another X chromosome. And this comes from the original girl. The redhead is a mixture of both, with Ranma's mother's redheaded traits strengthening that side of the genetics.
The Tocharians were a real people. And they have left red-haired descendants in Asia. I remember seeing a documentary that showed what were claimed to be millennia-old Chinese paintings that showed, dressed and coiffed like a typical man of wealth of China, "an Irish hooligan".
"Guizi" (rhymes with queasy) is a Chinese insult for people who don't have black hair. It means "Ghost-child" (pale skin). In the alternative universe of this story, they are a real type of peoples. And Shampoo's tribe is an offshoot of them. Being made to feel unwelcome, they isolated themselves from the rest of the world and formed themselves into the society of warriors Ranma ½ knows.
Throughout history, there have been many superstitions and fears about redheads and Guizi. Magic is a large part of them. Interestingly, for Ranma fans, it has been shown scientifically that redheads are more sensitive to heat and cold
