Ukyo Kuonji, okonomiyaki chef extraordinaire, martial artist and Ranma's childhood friend and fiancee was just about to sit down for lunch, when she saw Akane coming her way. She wanted to greet her, but then she did a double-take.
Akane was wearing her usual school uniform, but something was different about her this day. Just like Ukyo was always carrying around her huge spatula, Akane was also carrying something on her back. But instead of a cooking utensil (Ukyo shuddered at the thought), it was a… bow and quiver?
"Hey, Ukyo. Mind if I sit down with you for lunch today?" Akane asked.
"Um… sure thing, Akane. Say, what's up with the bow?"
"Oh… that?" Akane fidgeted a bit. "I, uh, wanted to join the school's archery club, you see?"
"Uh huh," Ukyo nodded. "I didn't even know our school had an archery club. Since when are you interested in something like this?"
"Oh, you know," Akane shrugged. "Sometimes, you just have to try something new. I figured I'd take a break from martial arts for a while."
Now Ukyo was even more confused. Akane, taking a break from martial arts? Didn't she always brag how she had to uphold the legacy of her father's school? The young chef just couldn't imagine Akane was willing to just push that aside.
"What's that you've got there?" Akane then asked.
Ukyo looked at the bottle she was holding. It was a regular, disposable water bottle, but someone had filled it with some sort of dark red drink. "Oh, you mean this? Daisuke gave it to me. He and Hiroshi asked me for a discount for okonomiyaki at my restaurant… because, you know, they're pals of Ranchan's."
Akane smirked. "Not the first time they tried that, right?"
"Yeah, but this time, they were actually pretty nice about it," Ukyo said. "And Daisuke gave me this drink because I forgot mine at Ucchan's. Never thought those two weirdos could learn to be this polite."
"Well, yeah… strange things happen," Akane muttered. She had to think back about the orb Hiroshi had given to her. Something definitely happened to those two. She wondered if she should look into this mystery some more. But was it really worth the trouble? She took a closer look at the bottle. "What do you think it is?"
Ukyo shrugged. "Looks like some sort of cherry soda to me. Well, only one way to find out. Kampai!" And she took a big swig. Then she grimaced. "Urgh, tastes somewhat nasty. Almost like… blood?"
"I bet those doofuses were trying to prank you after all," Akane said.
"I dunno, I feel kinda… funny. That taste… makes me wanna… ugh…" Ukyo gasped as her upper body bent forward and her arms started to twitch.
"Ukyo?" Akane asked with worry. "Are you all right? Shall I get the nurse… or Dr. Tofu?"
"I'm… fine…" Ukyo groaned. "Just need to… let it all… out… GRAAAAAAAAH!" She opened her mouth with a snarl, revealing her elongating canines. Her face started to stretch into a muzzle filled with sharp teeth. Her body swelled in size and with muscle, while dark brown fur began sprouting all over it. Her feet reformed into a more animalistic shape with soft pads and sharp claws. Claws were also sprouting from her fingertips. The bandages underneath her clothes could not withstand the steady swell of her expanding chest… until they snapped.
Ukyo raised her lupine head to she sky and let out a loud howl: "AAAAARROOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Akane just stared at that display with surprise… then she shook her head with a sigh. "Again, Ukyo?"
"Sorry, I can't help it," Ukyo growled apologetically. Her voice was a lot deeper and rougher, but still easily recognizable as hers. "That taste of blood… triggered something in me." She raised her nose and sniffed the air. Then she turned her head towards where Hiroshi and Daisuke were hiding behind a wall. "HEY! You guys are lucky if I'll ever let you into Ucchan's again after that prank! When I get my claws on you, you won't be able to sit for weeks!"
All around her, students started to whisper and snicker. "Did you see that?" – "Wow, Kuonji wolfed out again." – "I wonder if she'll ever make Saotome like her like that." – "Do you think she has to shave in this form?" – "You know, for a huge, furry beast… she's kinda hot."
Miss Hinako had also witnessed Ukyo's transformation. "Kuonji-san! No howling on the school grounds!"
Ukyo snarled in annoyance. Akane looked at her with sympathy. "Must be difficult sometimes, being a worgen."
"It can be annoying," Ukyo replied in her gruffer voice. She tugged a bit at the upper part of her uniform. "At least I managed to get a school uniform that adapts to my larger size. And because all of my pants keep getting shredded, wearing a skirt is much easier."
Neither of the two girls had realized that Ukyo's clothes had transformed from a boy's uniform into a girl's uniform. The breast bindings also disappeared right after the wolf girl's new, ample breasts had burst through them.
"Let's just enjoy lunch and don't listen to those guys," Akane said. "What did you bring?"
"D'you have to ask?" Ukyo asked with a toothy grin. "Okonomiyaki with looots of meat!"
"Of course." Akane rolled her eyes, while the lupine okonomiyaki chef wolfed down her meal… quite literally.
But while she was eating, Ukyo's sensitive nose caught another scent… a scent she knew and liked very much. "Lunch can wait," she said and stood up to her new, impressive height. "The only smell better than the smell of meat… is the smell of my mate!" She grinned and left Akane behind.
Akane looked after her… and gritted her teeth when she realized that Ukyo was approaching Ranma. "UKYO!" she shouted. "I swear, I'm gonna shoot an arrow right down your fuzzy butt if you don't leave Ranma alone!"
At first, Ranma didn't see or notice anything… until he was hugged from behind and felt the swell of two big, round, furry globes being pressed into his back. He also felt a familiar hot breath down his neck and a wet tongue licking his cheek. "Heya, Ranchan! Happy to see me?"
Ranma turned his head and looked into the happiest face a wolf could ever have. If Ukyo had a tail, she would be wagging it by now. "Hey, Ucchan… can ya let go of me now?"
The worgen girl grinned. "Nope! You're too dang snuggly to let go."
"Dangit, Ukyo, just let go of him!" Akane yelled as she stormed up to them. "I swear, you're just as bad as Shampoo."
"Whatever," Ukyo said. "You're just jealous because Ranma prefers big, strong, fluffy women."
"Um… actually, I…" Ranma tried to protest.
"Rrrraaanmaaaaaa! Don't just let her do that to you! That's it, I'm taking out one of my arrows!"
"Arrows? N-n-now wait just a moment, Akane… whatever happened to your mallet?" Ranma gulped.
"He's on vacation!"
"FOUL SORCERER! You would summon a hairy she-beast to abduct the fair Akane Tendo? I, Tatewaki Kuno, the blue thunder of Furinkan, shall strike you to the ground where you stand… and your little dog, too!"
"Hey! Who're you calling a hairy she-beast, blue blunder?" Ukyo growled.
"It feels more like she's the one doing the abducting…" Ranma muttered.
"DANGIT Kuno, I so do not need this right now!" Akane shouted.
While all the other students were watching the three-way-squabble (soon turning into a four-way-squabble as Kuno entered the fray), Hiroshi and Daisuke crouched down in an isolated corner, away from everyone.
"Well, I'd say that was a success," Daisuke said.
"You call that a success?" Hiroshi frowned as he looked back at the chaos.
"That happens every day," Daisuke asserted. "More importantly, we helped Ukyo-chan overcome her insecurity about her gender."
"Her… what?" Hiroshi looked at his pal dumbfounded.
"Well, you know Ukyo always came to school in a boy's uniform. And she feels she has to be tough for Ranma. Now that she's a big, buff, busty wolf chick, she doesn't have to be afraid of her femininity anymore. I mean, she can't exactly hide THAT figure with male clothing, right?" Daisuke asked.
"I guess you have a point there," Hiroshi agreed. "Besides, now Nabiki isn't the only non-human student anymore. And that was the whole idea behind the plan, right?"
"Right," Daisuke nodded. "But for now let's regroup and report back to HQ.
"HQ?"
"The Vault, doofus."
"Oh. Right. Do you have the mirror?"
"It's right here." Daisuke reached into his bag and took out the small hand mirror. "Are you ready? Is the coast clear?"
Hiroshi took a careful look around. The crowd was still surrounding Ranma and his fiancees. "We're free to go."
The two boys reached for the mirror at the same time and looked inside. And right away, they disappeared.
A sudden gasp came out of one of the bushes. And then, Sayuri and Yuka poked their heads out and stared at the spot where Daisuke and Hiroshi had been just seconds ago.
"Did you see that, Sayuri?" Yuka asked.
"I did." Sayuri narrowed her eyes. "It seems our boyfriends are keeping a big secret from us, Agent Y. We need to continue our investigation."
"Who's Agent Y?"
"That's you."
"Oh."
Nabiki didn't watch the argument between Ranma and his fiancees. She usually kept apart from her classmates… from everybody, really. The only contacts she had were her customers and the few cronies she had. But even they weren't really friends. She knew they were only following her because they didn't want to get on the bad side of a unicorn who could do magic.
Naturally, Nabiki was alone most of the time. Her way back home was no different.
It didn't matter. She was used to it. She didn't need them, anyway. She could hear them talk about her behind her back. Either they thought of her as an inhuman freak, or as a stupid animal they could pet or even ride on. She knew she was better than all of them.
She stopped when she noticed how two female students were blocking her path. She knew those girls… they were in her class, and generally unpleasant to be around.
"Hey, pony!" the taller of them sneered. She was a brutish girl with short hair. "What are you doing here all by yourself? Going home?"
"I bet she doesn't even have a real home," she smaller girl sneered. She was much thinner, had curly hair and pretty big teeth. "She probably lives in a stable and eats oats and hay."
"And at night, they tie her to a post with a rope," the brute girl grinned. "What are you animal even doing at our school? Do you hope you can learn a few tricks?"
"Yeah, like jumping through a hoop," the thin girl snickered. "She hopes to get some sugar cubes afterwards."
Nabiki suppressed a groan. This wasn't the first time these two insulted her, but they usually did it when they thought she couldn't hear them. She just decided to ignore them, they weren't worth her time.
But when she tried to walk around them, the tall girl put her foot in front of her. "Hey! Where do you think you're going? Stupid animal! We're not done talking to you!"
"You better leave now if you know what's good for you…" Nabiki said through gritted teeth. Her horn started glowing. "Or else you'll be… OW!" She yelped with pain when a sharp pebble struck her forehead. The glow around her horn disappeared.
"What, can't focus on your silly tricks when your horn's in pain?" the small girl chuckled as she threw another pebble up and down. "That's too bad."
"I wouldn't take any risks if I were you," the brute said. "Here, try a bigger one." And she picked up a rock the size of an egg.
Nabiki started to feel nervous. She was unable to cast any magic if she couldn't concentrate. And if she was hit with a rock that big…
"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind. "Pick on someone your own size!"
The bullies looked around… and saw Ukyo standing there, clenching her fists. She was back in her human form.
"What do you want?" the brute girl snapped. "Don't get yourself involved with things that don't concern you."
"I'm warning you only once," Ukyo growled. "Get out of here! NOW!"
"Or you'll do what, little girl?" the brute scowled. She slowly cracked her knuckles and walked up to her. She was actually bigger than Ukyo in this form.
"Oh, you'll soon find out…" Ukyo snarled as she began to transform.
The curly-haired bully gasped. "Wait! I know her… she's that other freak!"
"Wh-what?" the brutish one stuttered. "B-but how can she transform? It's not a full moon! Werewolves only transform under the full moon, right?"
"You idiot," Ukyo snarled. "I'm not a werewolf, I'm a worgen! Maybe werewolves transform under the full moon, but I can transform whenever I want."
"This doesn't look good," the smaller one gulped. "Let's get out of here."
The tall girl looked like she was about to protest. But when Ukyo grew bigger and she had to look up to see her face… she decided that the pony wasn't worth getting ripped to shreds. In the blink of an eye, the two bullies were gone.
Ukyo sighed and forced herself to relax. While she loved her wild side, she still needed to make sure it was under her control. "Those idiots," she said. " Are you okay, Nabiki?"
"I'm… fine," the unicorn said. "I didn't ask you to help me, you know? I could have dealt with them myself."
"Yeah, I saw that," the she-wolf grunted. "Why can't you admit that you need some help every now and then?"
Nabiki looked up at her. The size difference between them was extreme. "And I suppose you want a reward now."
"You really don't get me at all if you believe that," Ukyo said, crossing her muscular arms across her furry chest. "A martial artist always protects those who need help. Didn't you learn that from Ranma?"
"Well, Ranma is an idiot!" Nabiki grimaced. "And I'm certainly not a helpless little pony that needs the help of others. I don't need…"
Before she could finish the sentence, she was clonked on the head and lost consciousness.
"Aiya! Little mercenary pony go down far more quickly than Shampoo thought."
"Shampoo?" Ukyo shouted. The svelte, lavender-haired Chinese girl had come leaping down in front of her, striking Nabiki with one of her trusty bonbori. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Spatula wolf need no worry." Shampoo smiled at her. "Shampoo just take mercenary pony to great-grandmother, yes? Not important to you."
"Why do you want to take her to Cologne?" Ukyo asked warily. "What do you amazons need her for?"
Shampoo sighed. "Aiya, spatula wolf always nosy. Pretty big nose it is, too. Fine, Shampoo tell you." She pointed at the unconscious Nabiki's forehead. "Shampoo need unicorn horn for potion to win airen. Unicorns pretty rare, yes? Mercenary pony only one around."
"You can't just go around and take some person's body parts!" Ukyo said. "Well, some… pony's in this case, I guess. But it's still wrong!"
Shampoo shook her head. "Shampoo thought violent girl would protect her sister, not you. But if Shampoo has to fight you…" The amazon warrior took a combat stance. "Then Shampoo will!"
"Just try it!" Ukyo snarled, baring her teeth. Then she regained her composure… and reached for the giant spatula on her back.
"What, Ukyo not fighting Shampoo with fangs and claws?" Shampoo asked in a surprised voice.
"I'm a martial artist," Ukyo replied, filled with determination. "Not some wild beast. And neither is she." She pointed a claw at Nabiki. "If you want her… then you'll have to go through me!"
"With pleasure!" Shampoo shouted and leapt at the wolf-chef. Ukyo howled and swung around her spatula. Shampoo countered with her bonbori, and the two metal weapons collided with each other with a loud clang.
For a while, the two girls clashed. But then Ukyo attacked Shampoo with a big overhead swing of her weapon. Shampoo managed to block the attack, but Ukyo kept pressing down.
"Give it up already, Shampoo," Ukyo shouted.
"N-n-never…" Shampoo stuttered. "Amazons… never… yield…" But she was sweating heavily and her arms started to shake. She realized she was unable to hold off the attack of the beast-girl for much longer. She was just too strong. Realizing she couldn't win, the amazon jumped back and out of Ukyo's reach.
"Spatula wolf win for now," she said. "But Shampoo be back for unicorn's horn!" And with a big leap, she was gone.
Ukyo put her weapon on her back. "Hopefully, that's the last fight for today," she muttered. She knelt down next to the small pony and gently shook her. "Nabiki? Hey, Nabiki!"
"Oooooooh…" the unicorn groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. "Anypony got the number of that truck?"
"I guess you'll be okay," Ukyo smiled. "Or are you hurt?"
"Just my pride, I guess," Nabiki sighed. "I suppose… I owe you one. But… that doesn't mean anything, you hear?" she quickly said. "I just… hate to be in someone's debt. So… is there anything you need? Money? Or do you need me to dig up some information?"
"I don't need anything," Ukyo said as she stood back up to her full height. "Just knowing that you're out of trouble is enough. After all… us non-humans need to stick together. Right?" She winked.
Nabiki looked at her in surprise, then a small smile appeared on her face. "Right."
Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
The Dryad (NPC) and everything Terraria belongs to Re-Logic.
My little Pony belongs to Hasbro.
World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard.
