Amazonian Switcheroo

Part 3

They had found a private spot in a nearby park to discuss matters. Ranma looked at her cute fiancee warily, unsure of how she'd take this. Akane glared at the chef threateningly, watching for any sudden movements. She wouldn't let anyone hurt Ranma, not now.

Ukyo eyed the two suspiciously. She wasn't sure what was going on, but these two had the answers.

"So? Why was Ranchan acting that way? And why are you hanging around that bimbo?" The chef asked.

Akane looked at Ranma, and the lavender-haired girl nodded. Akane turned back to Ukyo.

"This is Ranma." She said pointing at the former boy.

Ukyo glared.

And so, Akane and Ranma explained everything up to what had recently transpired.

Ukyo was still glaring. "You expect me to believe all this?"

Ranma gave her a pleading look. "Ucchan, what more do we gotta do ta prove we're telling the truth?"

Ukyo glared at her angrily, and unsheathed her spatula to bring it close to the former boy's face.

"Don't you dare!" She said angrily. "Don't you dare talk like him! I won't hear it! You are not my Ranchan!"

It was then that Akane did something she did when she got really angry. She hit something.

This time, it was Ukyo on the recieving end, rather than Ranma. And it wasn't a slap. Akane doesn't slap (well, not often). No, this was a hard punch, which sent Ukyo falling to the ground.

Ukyo nursed her possibly broken jaw as Akane gave her a glare that could not only kill, but would raze the village, rob it of anything of value, and then deny ever actually doing anything when asked. It was a glare that caused the chef to go pale.

"And don't you DARE shove that THING in my fiance's face again!" Akane growled out, her teeth clenched. "Don't you DARE try to ignore what's going on! How dare you think we're lying, with all the things we've seen and done!" She gave Ukyo a contemptious look. "Don't come near us until you're ready to apologize."

And with that, Akane grabbed a stunned Ranma's hand, and went off, harrumphing. Ukyo just stared in disbelief.

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Shampoo had woken up. It was embarassing, getting knocked out by that......spatula girl. He would have to get her next.

Now, it is quite shocking that the amazon was so willing to forsake his love, but deep down his love had turned into bitter hatred. The man he had loved betrayed him, taking away everything of value to him. He couldn't forgive that. Not even the man he had once loved could get away with so thoroughly humiliating him and ruining his life. He was next in line to become village matriarch, for God's sake!

Yes, folks, he has become Ryoga. (Not literally, metaphorically)

Speaking of which, the lost boy was just behind him, and he looked PISSED.

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Ranma couldn't stop staring at Akane. The tomboy was being so nice to her, it was scary. And suspicious.

"Why are ya so nice to me now?" Ranma asked the other girl. "I thought you didn't like me?"

Akne turned to the former boy. "Of course I like you! It's just the engagement being forced on us, and the fiancees, and all the trouble that seems to follow you! Besides, even if it weren't for all that, you betrayed me!"

".....What?"

"You were so beautiful, and you seemed so scared! I wanted to be your friend, but you betrayed me, by being a boy! The first person I fell in love with was a boy!"

Ranma stared, the weight of this revelation sinking. Akane blinked, and then grew pale. She turned away from the lavender haired girl, and started to cry.

Ranma reached a hand toward the tomboy. Akane smacked it away.

"There, now you know." The tomboy said, seeming to have difficulty speaking. "Now you know my awful secret. Go ahead, laugh. laugh at the stupid tomboy pervert who had to hide behind anger to protect herself. Who had to use the constant fights as an excuse for disliking boys! Who convinced herself that she had a crush on the family doctor, simply so she could tell herself that she was normal! Who fell in love with a red-head, and her whole world was shattered! But it was alright, because this girl seemed so nice, so in need of protection! But she was wrong!

She was a boy! A stupid, arrogant boy!

She blamed the boy, called him a pervert, even hit him, simply so that she could continue to hide, and pretend to be normal! So that nobody figured out the awful truth, that SHE was the pervert!"

Akane was now looking towards Ranma, face to face. Tears were falling down her face.

"Akane..." Ranma said, too shocked to say more.

Akane buried her head in the former boy's chest. "I like girls, Ranma. Always have, always will. When Shampoo said those things earlier, I realised that I couldn't hide it. I can't lie to myself anymore." She looked up at the other girl's face again. "I loved you since we first met, but I hated you for being a boy."

Ranma continued to stare at the tomboy. The girl she loved had admitted to the same feelings. The only price was, of course, Ranma's precious manhood.

"All this time," Ranma said distantly, "I had been trying to be the perfect man, not just for myself, or for Pop, or for Mom, but for you too. And now, ironically, you tell me that was what you pushed you away from me..."

She laughed. But this wasn't a true laugh, nor a laugh born out of madness (like Kodachi Kuno), but something born from sadness and bitterness. A laugh made for sorrow, for when crying wasn't enough.

A sad laugh of years of lies and denial suddenly shattered and laid to bare.

'Screw it." The former boy thought. "Screw it all."

Then she kissed Akane square on the lips.

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Ukyo walked back to her restaurant. She was not happy.

She didn't want to believe Akane's crazy story, but it made too much sense. Especially when you consider all the other crap that had happened in the past.

It made too much sense to be a lie. And if it was, why make it in the first place? What would they have to gain?

And that was when, for the very first moment, someone had listened to Ranma Saotome, and believed him.

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Shampoo was in pain. Ryoga had beat him completely.

After all, even though he was a trained martial artist, he wasn't really on Ranma's level. And Ryoga's supposed to be almost as strong as the former boy, even stronger, some say.

Again, Shampoo cursed the name of Ranma Saotome. Nothing else mattered anymore.

He would have his revenge against the former pig-tailed martial artist.

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Dun dun duuuun!

Well, there you have it. Another part for this story.

I'll bet I'll get some hate mail for this. I'm sure of it. I'll be surprised if I don't.

This is now officially one my favourite stories that I've written, next to Black Waters.

Hope ya enjoyed it! And please comment!