Chapter 29: Too close
Soon Ryouga caught up to the siblings pretty fast, earning a growl from Ranma. "Get lost man!" Ryouga shook his head. " I won't! Ranka please give me another chance, let me show you, that I didn't do any of those things." Ranka had her arms crossed. "You're not going to buzz off, are you?" Ryouga shook his head. Ranka sighed at his persistent attempt. "And "how" are you going to show me, hmm?" Ryouga furrowed his brows before looking a little flustered. "Well I.. let me stay the night as P-chan.. " Ranma growled again. " No way!" Ranka hmmed. " Alright fine but if you don't behave, Ranma gets to kick your bacon butt out." Ranma grumbled with his arms crossed, wishing his sister had said no. Ryouga smiled as he looked around spotting a woman tossing water out on the street. " Wait right here, I'll be back." He then rushed in head first to let himself get splashed, as he turned into his cursed form of a little black piglet.
P-chan came running back over, dragging his things behind him. Ranka put her hands on her hips giving him an annoyed look. " Are you sure you don't want to go see Akane?" P-chan shook his head defiantly. Ranka hmpfed as she took his things from him, before she picked him up by his bandana, dropping him off into her book bag. " Don't make me regret giving you another chance.." Ranma has his hands in his pocket grumbling the whole time. Before they went in the house, they hid Ryouga's things behind a bush in the yard.
Ranma took notice of the soda machine again. " It's real nice how she didn't give any change.." Ranka gave him a dull look. " And your surprised she pulled a fast one on you? The girl's vindictive." She fished around in her bag, handing him a bill large enough to get a few soda's. "Now you just gotta ask mom about plugging it in." She then went off inside, with Ranma not too far behind. Nodoka gave them both hugs as she greeted them home. Ranma sweat dropped. " Hey uh mom could I plug the soda machine in for a few minutes?" Nodoka smiled. " Of course but only a few minutes." Ranma smiled and did so long enough to get a few cans, before making sure he turned it off.
Ranka had already gone off upstairs to get changed, and made sure her book bag was covered so a certain little piggy couldn't peep. After she was done she let him out from the book bag and made up a little bed in the bottom dresser drawer for him, before going back downstairs.
After awhile, Ranka came back upstairs with a rice ball she had saved for him and some water in a glass, that she set him up with. She gave him an annoyed look. " I'm going to take a bath, so I'd better not find you in the bathroom, got it.." P-chan had big eyes and nodded. Ranka sweat dropped. " You'd better not.." She then took her leave, going off to the bathroom.
Not too far off, evil P-chan had been told by the devil to go cause some more trouble for Ryouga, as he had seen through spying, that he was trying to get too close. So he hoped his creation would make that harder with more trouble. P-chan was curled up in his make shift bed, just starting to shut his eyes for a nap, when he heard noises from the window. He stuck his head up from the drawer and his eyes bugged out in alarm at spotting another P-chan, that tumbled down to the ground from the window.
P-chan growled at the intruder and the real cause of his rift with Ranka, launching an attack at the fake. Evil P-chan snorted at him and launched his own attack back at the real one, attacking him relentlessly, finally launching him off roughly into a corner, knocking him out. He then sneered at his counter part as he made his way to where the bathroom door was, where he started to squeeze up under it. Ranka was relaxing in the hot tub, humming some to herself, till she thought she heard a noise come from the door.
She eeped as she spotted P-chan pop up from under the door. " What did I tell you.." She said with an angry flustered face as she tossed a shampoo bottle at the pig. Evil P-chan sneered at her as he moved about really fast, avoiding the bottle.
Real P-chan woke up pretty fast and squealed in an angry tone as he followed after where the other one went, squeezing himself up under the door as well, his eyes full of anger at spotting the fake. Ranka had ducked down in the tub to cover herself, then as she sensed another invader come in, her eyes went wide at seeing.. another P-chan? She rubbed at her eyes for a second, wondering if she was seeing things, but nope there were still two P-chans at the same time. Real P-chan made angry pig noises at the fake him and charged him head on, knocking him off his feet for a minute. Evil P-chan got back up and rushed the other him, before leaping up onto the tub side, before taking another leap on top of Ranka's head to jump up to the window sill, where he darted out the partially open window. Ranka rubbed at her head, with an annoyed look as she shut the window shut.
Real P-chan at realizing he was in the bathroom alone with Ranka, rushed off under neath the door, making nervous sounds as he scampered back to the room. Ranka slumped down some into the water in the tub, all flustered. There were.. two P-chans, so Ryouga wasn't rabid or being a pervert, he had been framed..
Once she had gotten changed, she grabbed up P-chan by his bandana, taking him off to the bathroom. Where she then dropped him off into the tub of hot water, which Ryouga surfaced from as he changed back. She had her back turned to him. " We" need to talk, but we gotta make it quick.." Ryouga nodded as he kept himself under the water and behind the tub. Ranka sighed. " I warned you about pissing "him" off.. and you obviously did.. because he has it out for you now.." Ryouga thought about it for a second before realizing. " Ah.. so that's a clone of me?" Ranka nodded. " Though I think it's just your cursed form.. making a bad name for you.. I'm sorry I thought you caught rabies.." She said looking off really flustered. "Okay.. I'd better get going." She took the shower head, turning to cold water, blasting him until he turned back into a pig. Then she helped towel him off, before she took him back into her room, where she put him back in the bottom drawer, before going off back down stairs.
Nodoka looked up from the couch, where her and Ranma were sitting. "Ranka dear, is everything okay, I thought I heard some noises?" Ranka sweat dropped looking a little flustered. " I uh there was a spider, so I threw something at it.." Ranma sweat dropped, as he sipped some of his soda, not really buying the story. Nodoka smiled. "Oh my, but Ranka it's not very lady like to throw things, a yell should suffice." Ranka looked a little frustrated. " Ah yeah.. sorry.." Nodoka patted the couch, having her sit down with them. " Now what if that spider was on the window? Would you have thrown something at the window and broken it?" Ranka lowered her head and tensed her shoulders up sheepishly. " Umm.." Nodoka shook her head. " We really must work on your manners, regarding violence." Ranka sighed with an annoyed look. " Right but slaying demons, is just fine.." Nodoka sweat dropped. " It's an art and not just violence, it's poise and regal." Ranka had a dull look on her face. " It's still violence though.." Ranma sweat dropped more with a dumb smile on his face. " She's kinda right mom." Nodoka sighed heavily as she shook her head, before getting up. " I'm going to go water the garden." She took her leave as she went out through the front door, shutting it behind her.
Ranka ruffled up her hair with her hands in frustration, just like Ranma-chan had done before. "Arghh I can only take it soo much.." Ranma sighed as he handed her a soda can. " Well just how she can't change how "we" are, we can't change how "she" is, either. You take it better than I could, that's for sure." Ranka groaned as she opened the soda and sipped some. "I get that.. but it's still frustrating as hell.. Now you're off the hook, mostly." Ranma hmmed as he sipped his soda a bit more, before finishing it off. " I'm not so sure about that.. but you know mom likes to compromise." Ranka sighed. " I can't really compromise about violence.. it's your fault you know.." Ranma got a little flustered. " It's not my fault that anything goes martial arts is violent."
Nodoka came in looking upset at them. " Are you two fighting?" Ranma and Ranka blinked at the same time and said " No.." at the same time. Nodoka sighed not wanting to hear it from her children. " Ranma, Ranka, I want both of you to go to your rooms and have some time out, until I come and tell you, you're done, and then I expect you two to apologize to each other." Ranka sweat dropped. " But.. we weren't.. and I am sorry.." Nodoka cut her off, pointing upstairs. " Not another word, young lady." Ranka sighed as she went off upstairs to her room. Nodoka yelled up. " Doors shut." Ranma sweat dropped and went upstairs as well to his own room, shutting the door behind him, not wanting to argue with an already upset mother.
Ranka flopped down on her bed looking annoyed. " Jeez.. she's on edge.." P-chan looked up from the drawer, making concerned noises. Ranka sighed again, laying her head on her pillow. " She thinks we were fighting.. me and Ranma, but she was already upset about.. me being too violent.."
Ranma was laying on his bed in his new room, grumbling. This part of living with his mother wasn't so great, and was something new that he wasn't so fond of. His dad never did that, but he had done plenty of other things to him, when it came to discipline. He sweat dropped at remembering that Ryouga was all alone in the same room as his sister, making him tighten his fist. That piece of bacon better not try anything.
Not too far off in the shadows Ivory had been listening earlier, hearing how Ranka was all alone in "time out." She held onto evil P-chan, who had un knowingly snatched the red gem necklace from the bathroom, before he had made his escape. Ivory set him down with an evil smirk. " Go, show "her" what she's missing." Evil P-chan nodded as he zipped off, jumping back up on top of the roof.
Ranka sighed after chatting with P-chan some, instinctively going to her neck, to play with her necklace. Her eyes widened some at not feeling it around her neck, she tried to think rationally about it, how she likely just left it in the bathroom. That is, until she heard tapping noises, directing her attention to the window. She spotted the fake P-chan with a fanged smirk, holding her necklace with his teeth, which lit up some.
She bolted up from where she was laying on her bed, going over to the window so quickly, that she threw it open and disappeared out onto the roof top, trying to catch evil P-chan, who darted away from her, then jumping down from the rooftop, sticking his tongue out at her, before running off into the shadows with the red gem lighting up some, as if it was calling out for help.
Ranka growled as she jumped from another roof top, before jumping down to the ground to pursue the thief, her anger clouding her thinking. "Why you.." Fake P-chan led her further away, as he kept baiting her with the necklace, with the red gem blinking on an off.
Back in the room in the bottom dresser, the real P-chan's ears twitched about as he noted it had gone quiet, prompting him to jump out, jumping about till he was on top of the dresser so he could get a better view, which caused his eyes to bug out, as he saw an empty bed and the window wide open. He knew what he had to do, even though he wasn't happy about doing it.
Ranka caught up to where evil P-chan had led her to an empty lot, as she tried to make another grab for him, only for him to dart away and jump up into Ivory's arms. Ivory smirked showing off her fangs. " Well well, what do we have here? A traitor of the greatest kind." Ranka grew angrier at seeing her ex friend, clenching one of her fists. "I don't have time for this crap, hand over what you stole.." Ivory laughed at her. "Oh right because you're in time out, because you're too busy playing house with that woman." She shot back snidely at her. Ranka furrowed her brow at her, as she glared at her. " I'm done playing, if you haven't noticed.. That woman is my mother." Ivory threw her head back as she laughed. " Oh, it hurts, how delusional you are now. Like I said before, be a good girl, and come back to where you belong, to your master." Ranka sighed heavily, as she knew Satan had made sure to keep Ivory brainwashed with his ideals. " You're the delusional one, here. I tried to tell you that before.." She put her head down as she looked deadly serious at Ivory. " But I'm not, I'm a bad girl. Like I said before, NEVER!"
Ivory's eyes flashed purple as she growled. "That's right, because "everyone's" more important than me! I'm done playing too, and I intend to pay you back for forgetting me, and killing me!" She took the necklace from the pigs mouth, holding it up as it lit up, then clenching the gem part in her fist as she started to press her fingers down on it, to crush it. Evil P-chan jumped out of her hold, down to the ground. Ranka's eyes widened for a second, before she sped forward, rushing herself off into Ivory with a growl as she rammed into her, making her drop the necklace as she staggered backwards. Evil P-chan caught the necklace in his mouth.
Ivory then made her move as she took her own necklace off, then pulling it over Ranka's head so it fell into place around her neck. " There you got your necklace back, so you can shut your mouth now."
Back inside the house P-chan had squeezed up under the door, then doing the same at the next door he came across down the hallway. Ranma sweat dropped from where he was laying on his bed at hearing frantic squealing, before he spotted P-chan in his room, which made him furrow his brows. " Ryouga.." It made him a bit weirded out that P-chan had come to find him and seemed so frantic. Then bolting up from where he was laying, realizing something wasn't right. He then tried to sense Ranka, and at not being able to easily, turned to P-chan. "Where's Ranka, Ryouga.." P-chan fwailed his hoofs about, before he zoomed to the door, making upset noises, prompting Ranma to follow after him.
Ranma sweat dropped as he followed after him as quietly as he could, opening the door quietly as he kept following P-chan, to where he followed him into Ranka's room. Getting a bad feeling, he knew he had to hurry as he went out the open window after P-chan. He groaned at the thought of having to deal with his mother later, but knew that finding Ranka was more important. He skillfully, jumped from one roof to another, before jumping down with P-chan to the ground. " Alright so, where is she?" P-chan sweat dropped and hung his head. Ranma tightened his fist as he gave the little black pig a whack to the head. " You don't know, do you?!" P-chan shook his head, then fwailed his hoofs about frantically as he pointed at himself, making upset noises. Ranma furrowed his brow as he was able to make out what he was trying to say. " She's.. with you?" P-chan nodded his head with an angry look.
Back at the empty lot Ranka blinked at the gem necklace, that was around her neck. She knew it wasn't hers and figured out the plan, that Ivory thought her gem could control her. It was laughable, but she was also smart to not let the she-devil know that her gem couldn't do so and would play along if she needed to. While she knew it couldn't control her, she still didn't want it on her, knowing it had Satan's blood within it. She went to try to grab it to pull it off, only to yelp from her hands being burned from it's evil aura.
Not too far off Ranma was able to lock onto his sister's chi, leading him to the empty lot, where he spotted her and then, that damned Ivory. P-chan who was on the ground and had followed, glared daggers at spotting the fake him and the necklace he had hanging from his mouth. Fury burning in his eyes as he charged at his clone, knocking him back, which made him drop his hold on the necklace. P-chan dashed by, grabbing it up into his mouth.
Ivory sneered at her opponent before her, having taken her defense away from her, as well as making sure she was baited to her so suddenly, so she didn't have that damned katana with her. Not to mention she had her gem on her. This was pay back for her mercilessly killing her. She charged back at her former friend, swinging her leg back as she slammed it off into her side. Ranka tried to block it and attack back, only to have the purple gem start burning her on her neck, distracting her just enough so the attack landed a blow to her, making her take a tumble to the ground.
Ivory giggled as she leaped up into the air, launching herself downwards heavily. Ranka jumped away as she plunged down at her, gritting her teeth as the purple gem kept burning her. Ivory smirked and snapped her fingers, making the purple gem light up as she used it's magic to summon a whip. Ranka gripped onto the chain of the necklace thru the burning, as she steeled through it to start to pull it off.
Ivory caught on and pointed her finger at it, making it tighten around her neck. " Shut up and like it!"
Ranma charged at full speed at Ivory, connecting his fist with her face, knocking her off into the air and down to the ground, as he growled at her. " Leave my sister alone, dammit!" He had justified, breaking the code of not hitting girls, with how this was a demon. P-chan's eyes bugged out at seeing that Ranka was in trouble, as he tried to get over to where she was, to try to help her. His clone slammed into him, knocking him over, then ramming into him, biting into his side making him squeal. He still kept his grip on the necklace as tightly as his could with his mouth, as he tried to ignore the pain from the bite.
Him and his evil clone, locked eyes as they both charged at each other with angry snorts.
Ivory jumped back up, with her hand to her face. At seeing a furious boy before her, she laughed some. "Well well, what do we have here, you could've asked if you wanted to fight so badly." Ranma glared daggers at the girl, as he got into a fighting stance. Both him and Ivory's battle aura's were flaring, even as the rain started to come down. P-chan and his clone kept clashing back and forth, as they were pretty evenly matched.
Ivory slapped her whip down at Ranma-chan. " I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson, for hitting me.." She growled as she smacked the whip down at her opponent, making her jump back. Ranka would've come to help her sibling, but she was too busy dealing with being burned by the necklace as well as being choked as it started to tighten around her neck again. Ivory continued her assault, smirking as she wrapped the whip around Ranma's neck, then changing it's form into another purple gem necklace, that she made tighten around her neck, like Ranka's. " So you're not left out of the fun." She then grabbed both of them up by their necklaces, one in each of her hands and started to swing them, by swinging her arms about as she twirled them around in the air, like one of those carnival rides. " Are WE having fun yet?!" She said as her eyes lit up purple as she cackled and let them both go flying. Both of them went tumbling in different directions on the ground. Ivory laughed at them. " I've got your number, Ranma Saotome.." She said with a devious fanged grin.
With the copy necklace, she couldn't do too much with it, but with what she could do, was tighten it's hold on Ranma, which she had it do more to both of them. She was enjoying serving up some punishment to the one that was more important than she was to Ranka. Ranma-chan gritted her teeth as she yanked away at the necklace, thru the pain from the tumble to the ground. She was able to fight it more than Ranka was, as her's wasn't burning her constantly.
As the first streak of lightning started, a figure rushed forth through the rain, slicing the air with her katana, with precise movement as she brought her blade down with the air, cutting the necklace off from around Ranka's neck, without touching her. Nodoka dove the sword down, smashing the rest of the purple gem into pieces. She then rushed forward at the demon girl with her katana, making Ranma-chan freeze up at spotting her mother enter the fray. Ivory was about to say something snide about Ranma, but as Nodoka's blade connected with a swing, her head disconnected from her body as it was lopped off.
At seeing that his side had lost, evil P-chan's eyes bugged out as he ran off really fast, disappearing into the shadows. Real P-chan huffed at the clone. Ranka coughed some from having been choked, rubbing at her neck. Ranma-chan ripped the loose necklace off her neck as she did the same as her twin, having gone thru the same thing. She sweat dropped as Nodoka grabbed her and Ranka both by their hands, pulling them off with her. P-chan sweat dropped and made sure to stick close, so he didn't get lost.
Once she got them back inside, she let go of their hands, giving them both a stern look. She focused more on Ranka, but both of them were tense, knowing they were both in a lot of trouble. Nodoka motioned for them to take seats at the table, once they did she set about to putting a kettle on the stove, before coming back with her arms crossed. " I'd like an explanation as to why, you were both outside and NOT in your rooms as I had instructed.." She then addressed Ranka. " And Ranka.. what possessed you to leave the house?" She could clearly tell it was Ranka who had run off and how Ranma had likely went after her out of worry, and had ended up getting involved in the fight. She instructed Ranma to go take a hot bath and then to come right back to the table. Ranma-chan did so without any fussing, knowing it wouldn't be wise.
After the kettle went off, Nodoka got up and went and made some tea up in the kitchen. P-chan had made it back inside with them safely, and went under the table, giving Ranka's leg a poke with his snout. She looked under the table at spotting him with her necklace hanging from his mouth, which she held out her hand as he dropped it off, into her hand. She smiled a tad at him quickly, before sitting back up as her mother came back to the table with 3 cups of hot tea, that she set down on the table, before taking her seat again. "Well young lady, I asked you a question, I expect an answer.."
Ranka hung her head as she held onto her gem necklace, which was healing her. " I.. wasn't thinking clearly.." Nodoka sighed as she motioned for her to drink some of her tea. " Ranka.. that is not what I asked.." She took a sip of her tea, as did Ranka before she tensed up in her seat. " He made an evil clone of P-chan.. and stole my necklace.." Nodoka couldn't help but be angry as she tightened her fist. " Ranka what have I told you before about being too dependent on that necklace. You blindly took off after it.. putting yourself in harms way.." Ranka tensed up more with a really upset look on her face. " I know.. I can't help it.." Nodoka had a very serious look on her face as she held out her hand. " For your actions, you will not have your necklace until tomorrow." Ranka sighed heavily and handed it over to her angry mother with her head down. " Yes mam.."
She instructed her to go upstairs and take a hot bath, after Ranma had returned, which she did, also taking P-chan upstairs with her. She had her hand to her head, looking very upset. Ranma sweat dropped at seeing she had taken Ranka's necklace from her. Nodoka rubbed at her head some before she addressed her son. "Now Ranma I know you got involved out of concern, but you also put yourself into a very dangerous situation without thinking.. As well as the fact that you also snuck out, so you will also face punishment." Ranma hung his head. " Yeah I know.." Nodoka sighed heavily again. " Are you alright dear? Should we go see a doctor?" Ranma rubbed at the back of his head a bit flustered. " I'm fine, is Ranka okay?" Nodoka nodded her head.
Upstairs in the room, she went and got her other gem, using it to heal P-chan of his wounds as well as herself, as she had been interrupted. She sighed heavily as she looked at the nasty burn marks on the palm of her hands, as they started to disappear. It made her glad that she had an extra red gem and hadn't told her mother about it. She made a note to herself to be sure to get some more demon blood next hunt, so she could make another one. With the way things were going, she would need to have an ample supply. Once P-chan was all healed up, she put it back in it's hiding spot, going off to the bathroom to take her bath.
Back downstairs there was knocking at the front door, which made Nodoka bolt up from her seat, rushing over to it cautiously as she asked who it was. At hearing it was a friend and not a foe, she let them in. Shampoo bowed respectively to her, before showing her the metal take out box. " Shampoo bring new ramen recipe for everyone to try, is okay?" Nodoka smiled a bit at her. " Please come in Shampoo." Ranma sweat dropped as she set the metal take out box on the table, before sitting next to him, clinging to his arm. " Woda airen." She then took notice that her "other" airen wasn't about. "Where's Ranka?" Nodoka gave off a quick smile. " She's taking a bath, she should be down shortly. It seemed fishy to her how the amazon showed up when she did, almost like she was tracking Ranma and Ranka. It couldn't be mere coincidence.
Nodoka wasn't wrong as Shampoo had happened to see part of the fight between the demon girl and her two airens. She was about to attack but Nodoka had beaten her to it and the kill.
Ranka finally came back downstairs wearing casual pajama set, long sleeved top and sweatpants with her hair down, as Shampoo glomped onto her. " Aiya, Shampoo bring new ramen for all us to try." Nodoka gave a bit of a stern look to the amazon girl, that made her freeze up for a second. She was letting her know, not to go too far, but also wasn't going to press the matter too much tonight, as it could help with Ranka's state of mind.
Shampoo noted there was no resisting from her other airen, but also no reaction either, which prompted her to let go of her with a sad look. Ranka took her seat at the table, with her head down. Nodoka smiled a bit. " Alright now that everyone's at the table, let's try Shampoo's new ramen." Shampoo nodded and served out the bowls of ramen, and a side plate of potstickers as she took her own seat, and they all ate in silence.
Nodoka smiled as she set her chopsticks down. " That was very delicious, thank you Shampoo but I think I'll make something else as well." Shampoo nodded. " Let me help you too, would be an honor." Nodoka smiled a bit. " Alright." She had glanced over at Ranka, to see if she had reacted, but she hadn't. Which made her think if she went a bit too hard on her. Ranma finished his. " That was really good Shampoo." Shampoo smiles." Aiya." Ranka nodded in agreement, before disappearing back upstairs to the room, where she sneaked P-chan a potsticker.
She flopped down on her bed with a heavy sigh. " You should probably go.." She said really quietly to him. P-chan shook his head from his little dresser drawer bed. Ranka rolled over so her back side was facing him. " Okay but Shampoo's here.." P-chan sweat dropped at hearing that, but still shook his head.
Shampoo smiled as she helped set up the table, before helping Nodoka set the food on the table. Ranma didn't need to be called, he had already sat himself at the table. Shampoo put together a plate for him, which he gladly took. Nodoka sighed as she went over to the stairs. " Ranka, it's dinner time!"
Ranka grumbled from her bed as she got up and yelled back. " I'm not hungry.." Nodoka yelled back up the stairs, in a stern tone. " It's dinner time young lady, I expect you at the table and eating in 5 minutes or less, and every minute your late, is an hour of training and a trip to the spa!" Shampoo sweat dropped. " Aiya.. Ranma's mother was indeed not to be trifled with. Ranma sweat dropped as well at the tense stand off that was going. Within less than 4 minutes, Ranka had come downstairs and taken her seat at the table, looking really annoyed as she huffed. Nodoka smiled as she took her own seat at the table. " Alright now that everyone's at the table, let's eat."
After dinner, Ranka excused herself, saying she was going to bed, as she snuck some of the omelette rice upstairs for P-chan. Shampoo helped Nodoka with clean up in the kitchen, while Ranma was sitting and watching tv. He wanted to try to talk to Ranka, but knew she was in a really bad mood, as was his mother, so he didn't want to ignite either of them further. Maybe a little later he could try to, but it seemed unlikely.
Some time went by until they finished doing the dishes in the kitchen. Shampoo wiped her forehead. " Aiya, Shampoo so tired." Nodoka felt bad as the girl had been busy, it would be un fair to send her away. "You can stay the night if you'd like, I'll set you up in the guest room." Shampoo's eyes got all big and bright. " I stay with Ranka, is okay?" Nodoka hmmed. " As long as you can behave, I don't see why not." She figured it couldn't hurt as they were both girls and how this could help, as well as keep Ranma to his own room. "Alright if you're ready for bed, I'll help you get set up." Shampoo nodded as she went and glomped onto Ranma who was on the couch, making him get annoyed. Shampoo giggled as she said good night to him, as she let go. Ranma was too into what he was watching on tv at the moment.
Nodoka brought Shampoo upstairs with her, showing her to the room as she opened the door. " Ranka dear, Shampoo's going to stay the night alright." Shampoo had a smile on her face. " Aiya." Ranka sweat dropped as she threw the blankets off at hearing the amazon in the room. It was too late as Nodoka spotted P-chan in the bottom dresser drawer, who was looking at her wide eyed. Nodoka put her hand to her face. " Ranka! " With all the sudden reveals of curses, she had also remembered how she had witnessed P-chan turning into Ryouga, which meant all the fussing from Ranko, who was really her son Ranma was true, that Ryouga was in fact, literally a pig and here was a boy staying in the same room as her daughter. No, she would not approve of such thing, just yet. Ranka sweat dropped not knowing that her mother knew about Ryouga's curse. " What?" Nodoka shook her head. " That's Ryouga isn't it?" Ranka sweat dropped more as she realized her mother had found out. " Ahh.. well.. um.." Nodoka picked him up. " Boys do not sleep in the same room as young ladies, so I'll set him up in the guest room." Shampoo nodded in agreement. " Mother is right." Nodoka sighed. " Well there's futons or you can use the other bed." She bid them good night as she left the room with P-chan, shutting the door behind her.
She took him off to the bathroom, where she set him up with a change of clothes. " Please have a bath, and then I'd like to talk to with you Ryouga." She shut the door behind her, leaving him be as she went off downstairs, where she sat down on the couch with Ranma. She sighed heavily. " I'm so sorry Ranma dear, that I didn't believe you before about Ryouga being.. well literally a pig.." Ranma sweat dropped at hearing that. " Ah.. well.. how did you know?" Nodoka sighed again. "I put P-chan in the hot bath and then there was Ryouga.." She furrowed her brow at her son. " Who I thought you didn't know.." Ranma rubbed at the back of his head. " Ah.. yeah, sorry, he's my rival.." Nodoka listened as her son told her how he and Ryouga knew each other and how he was also cursed. She shook her head at him. " Ranma dear, you need to try to be nicer to him. That being said, will you go and check on him in a bit and make sure he's set up in the guest room for the night, as Shampoo insisted on staying with Ranka tonight."
Ranma almost fell off the couch at hearing that. " I don't think that's such a good idea mom.." Nodoka blinked. " Why not dear? I warned her to behave and I don't believe she'll try anything." Ranma sweat dropped. " Right.." He wasn't going to argue further with her, as he said good night and went off upstairs to do what she asked him, as he knocked on the bathroom door. " Hey yo Ryouga, are you done yet?" Ryouga opened the door wearing a tank top and sweatpants. " Ah yeah.." Ranma couldn't help but taunt him as he smirked at him. " So the widdle piggy got caught trying to sleep in the same room as Ranka huh." Ryouga whacked him over the head. " Knock it off.." Ranma grumbled wanting to whack him back, but wasn't going to chance igniting his mother. " Yeah yeah, cmon I'll show you to your room." Which he did, and made sure he had everything he needed, before he went off to his own room.
Not too much later, Nodoka knocked on the guest room door. Ryouga opened the door all flustered. Nodoka smiled as she let herself in. " As I said before I'd like to talk to you Ryouga. You also must be hungry, so please follow me downstairs for a bit of your time." Ryouga nodded and went off with the older woman downstairs.
Over in Ranka's room after the lights were turned off, Shampoo snuck off into her bed with her as she snuggled up against her. Ranka tensed up some as she grumbled, but didn't pitch a fight about it. Shampoo could sense she was down. " Is you okay, Ranka?" She smirked and ran her foot over Ranka's under the covers, making her react with a surprised yelp. Ranka grumbled. " Cut that out.. will ya.." Shampoo just giggled in response. Ranka sighed. More or less, just.. I'm too violent for my mom.." Shampoo smiled and pressed herself up against Ranka's back. " Not for Shampoo, to be strong is good thing." Ranka was blushing as she tensed up. " Cmon.. cut that out." Shampoo smirked as she did it more. " Cut what out?" Ranka groaned. " You know "what"..
Shampoo glomped onto her and rubbed up against her. " Aiya, airen." Ranka got really flustered as she turned herself about looking annoyed. " Didn't you hear what my mom said, she said to " behave" yourself!" Shampoo just giggled in response with a super cute look on her face, which made her more flustered. Ranka then thought about about what the amazon first said and how it was odd that she showed up right after. She gave her a dull look as she showed the mark on her wrist to her. " This" is a tracker, isn't it?" Shampoo blinked and played dumbed. " Shampoo no know what you talking about." Ranka gave her a look. " Uhuh.." Shampoo then got an annoyed look on her face. " Why you have pig boy in same room with you?" Ranka sweat dropped looking off the other way. " Because.. he wanted to prove that he wasn't being evil and he wasn't.. Satan made an evil P-chan clone.." Shampoo laid her head on her chest, making her turn red in the face. "Why else is mother upset with you?" Ranka sighed again. " She doesn't like how dependent I am on my gem necklace and I get that I do, but.." Shampoo had a bit of a concerned look on her face. " Is important to you, yes." Ranka nodded. " It is, it's essentially part of me. Shampoo nodded in agreement, also inwardly cheering for how far ahead of the spatula girl she had gotten now with Ranka. Of course she wished she could do the same with Ranma, but she'd keep to what she could barely get away with.
Downstairs at the kitchen table Nodoka had heated up some left overs for Ryouga. "If your still hungry, I'll be glad to make you something else, alright dear." Ryouga nodded a bit flustered. " Well it's not like I didn't eat.. but thank you very much for the food!" He then dug in. Nodoka smiled. " I see, that's because Ranka was sneaking you some food, wasn't it?" Ryouga sweat dropped and laughed some as he rubbed at the back of his head as he finished his plate. Nodoka sighed. " I apologize for my son's brash actions that led up to your being cursed, Ryouga. Tell me, is my Ranma a man among man?" Ryouga sweat dropped a bit more, wanting to make him look bad, but also knowing it was going too far to do to his mother and how badly he'd anger Ranka if you did. " He's rude and insensitive but very much a manly man. Even when he's in his girl form." Nodoka had big bright eyes as she listened. " I see, thank you for your input Ryouga. Would you say his rude ness is because of his father?" Ryouga got all fired up and couldn't stop himself. " You bet it is!" Nodoka put a hand to her face as she shook her head in dismay. Ryouga got all nervous as he waved his arms about. " Oh um well.." Nodoka smiled back. " It's alright, I keep learning just how awful my husband has been.. Were you still hungry?" Ryouga shook his head and thanked her for the food. Nodoka smiled a bit at him. " Thank you for taking the time to talk a bit with me." After putting the dishes in the sink, she bid him goodnight, till she noticed him looking around nervously, and figured out he wasn't sure where to go. " Please follow me, Ryouga." With that she led him upstairs and off to his guest room, before going off to get herself ready for bed, before retiring to her own room.
A bit later Ryouga got up to go use the bathroom, not guessing the right door as he opened up what he thought was the bathroom, turning the light on after closing the door behind him. Ranka looked at him all wide eyed, with Shampoo still all snuggled up on her. Ryouga got all nervous at realizing. " Ahaha.. this isn't the bathroom.." Shampoo's eyes snapped opened as she glared daggers at him, grabbing a near by magazine and chucking it at him. " What YOU do here? Aiya!"
Off in his own room Ranma woke up from hearing the yelling, jumping out of his bed and skidding out of his room, halting at the other door, before opening and yanking Ryouga out of the room, grabbing him up by his shirt. " What the hells the matter with you, man?!" Ryouga looked all flustered as he tensed up. " I uh.. thought that was the bathroom.." Ranma growled at him as he dragged him over to where the bathroom was, taking his leave before he lost his anger on the lost boy.
Nodoka was about to rush out but once she heard Ranma handling it, she stayed put.
Morning came as Nodoka was as usual the first get up and once she was making breakfast, Ranko was usually the first to come down, who she had suddenly found out was really her son Ranma. It was a bit of a shock but a bit less as she had also thought Ranko as of Ranma, so it made sense they were both the same person. After Ranma had come down, so did Ryouga. Ryouga bowed at seeing Nodoka. " Thank you for your hospitality but I need to be going now." Nodoka smiled at him and motioned him for to take a seat at the table. " At least have some breakfast before you leave." Ryouga rubbed at the back of his head as he couldn't refuse her offer, taking a seat at the table, where she set a plate of food down for him. Nodoka looked at the time as she shook her head at how Ranka was still not up. Ranma finished up his plate, getting up. " I'll go see what's up." Nodoka frowned a bit at him. Ranma sweat dropped putting his hands up in defense. " As a girl, of course.." Nodoka nodded, looking a little confused as she was still not used to that fact.
After going upstairs to the bathroom, using the shower head to spray himself with some cold water, having changed into a girl, she went to check on her sister and Shampoo. First she gave a knock at the door before letting herself in, and sweat dropping, seeing that Shampoo had obviously snuck off into the same bed as Ranka, and all snuggled up on her. Ranma-chan smirked evilly at getting back at her sister, as she took the pillow from her bed, and slapped it down on Ranka's face. " You might want to get up." Ranka grumbled as she pulled the pillow off her face, tossing it aside, then sweat dropping at what her sibling had meant, as she slid herself out from Shampoo and away from her. Shampoo yawned as she started to wake up, stretching her arms out, at hearing Ranma she jumped up out of the bed and leapt into the air, glomping onto her. " Aiya, good morning airen." Ranma-chan sweat dropped as she tried to pry her off her. " Cmon!"
A few minute later Ranka came downstairs and took her seat at the table. Followed by an annoyed Ranma-chan and giggling Shampoo. Nodoka gave the amazon girl a stern smile. " Good morning I hope you are behaving yourself." Shampoo nodded back with a smile. " After everyone finished with their breakfast, Shampoo and Ryouga took their leave after saying their good bye's.
Nodoka clasped her hands together once it was back to just her and her children. "Today's an important day, as we're all going to the Tendo's to help them celebrate. With that being said, Ranma as you're the guest of honor, please go take a bath." Ranma-chan sweat dropped and nodded as she went off to do so. Nodoka then turned her attention to Ranka. " Ranka I want you to be on your best behavior, and this being such a special celebration, I want you to dress accordingly." Ranka nodded as she went off upstairs to her room, where she went thru her outfits.
Once Ranma was done with his bath, he was trying to figure out what to wear in his own room. Nodoka came upstairs after a while, knocking on Ranka's door, after being let in she took in what she was wearing. She was pleased with the pink dress, but fussed a bit more as she tied in a pink bow to her daughters hair. She was about to compliment her till she noted she was wearing a sweatshirt hoodie. " Ranka.. that is not dressing accordingly.." Ranka sighed with a bit of annoyance. Nodoka continued on. " Are you sure you don't want to wear a kimono." Ranka bit her lip as she tightened her fists some. " Yes I'm sure.. Well I just don't fit the perfection mold, that you want me to be.. to a tea.." She muttered some. " I mean I'm wearing a dress, and earrings and a bow in my hair.. I can compromise some but I just can't fit your perfect vision of what you'd like me to be.."
Nodoka sighed heavily as she thought about what her daughter had said, it saddened her that she didn't want to dress more accordingly to what women should, but she also needed to be thankful she wasn't a complete tomboy. She put on her thinking cap as she tried to reason with her a bit more. Yes I can see that, but since you're wearing the hoodie, perhaps you could wear the right kind of shoes." Ranka sighed looked off some. " Meaning, not my boots. I'm not wearing high heels.." Nodoka shook her head. " Oh no of course not." Ranka had a dull look on her face. " And no sneakers either.." Nodoka smiled some. " This is a big occasion." Ranka gave her an annoyed look. " And will Ranma be held to any of these standards?" Nodoka sweat dropped putting a hand to her face. " Well.. it is his special occasion. Of course I'd like him to.." Ranka had a dull look on her face again. " Meaning a suit and tie or a traditional kimono, but he has his own style, as do I."
Nodoka sighed. "I can see that." Ranka had an annoyed look on her face with her arms crossed. " Well I'm sorry that I'm not "that" perfect young lady you want so badly.." Nodoka looked a bit sad and dismayed. "No you're not but you do try your best. You're not a total tomboy. I'm just set in my ways.." Ranka sweat dropped with a dull look. " Yeah well so am I."
Nodoka couldn't help but try to sway her. " How about we put some lipstick on." Ranka looked off some. " If I did that, the old man would definitely " pounce" on the spot, at selling me off. Can't I just put some lip gloss on instead.." Nodoka was about to fuss about eyeshadow, but Ranka always looked like she was already wearing some. She decided not to press her further. " Well I'd better go get myself ready." She took her leave from the room, going off to her own.
Once they were all ready, Nodoka was fussing over Ranma's outfit some. " Are you sure that's what you want to wear? This is a big occasion." Ranma shrugged his shoulders. " I'm fine with this." Ranka couldn't help but roll her eyes, seeing how her mother didn't seem to take her advice, she stopped really fast as the attention was on her suddenly. Nodoka beamed as she clasped her hands together at seeing how Ranka was at least wearing nice shoes. Ranka could tell the compromise of the shoes had her mother in a good mood, as she put on the cutest look as she kissed up to her. " Mom do you think I could.. have my necklace back?" She shuffled her feet about some.
Nodoka sighed in defeat as she couldn't say no, since even though Ranka hadn't dressed perfectly, she still dressed up more than her son had. She handed the necklace over to a delighted Ranka. " Alright we'd better get going then, if everyone's ready."
Not too much later they arrived at the Tendo's where Kasumi greeted them, as did the others. With both the siblings getting their own attention, Ranma being congratulated and Ranka being gushed over that she came out of Genma's scheme alright. Nodoka at being reminded, bristled a bit in anger at spotting Genma, giving him a stern glare to tell him, to not start with Ranka, or Ranma for that matter. Genma at seeing her, started to get up ready to dash away by instinct, as he had done so anytime he had heard his wife coming, but suddenly recalled she knew about the curse.
Nabiki was busy talking with Ranka. " Boy am I glad to see you, you worried me for a second there." Ranka gave her a dull look. " Uhuh.." Her look then turned to a serious one. " I'm glad to see you too Nabiki, shall we discuss your over due payment?" Nabiki sweat dropped as she forked over the money to her, she needed her money maker. "So now I can click away, right?" Ranka sighed. " If you must, but it's going to add up again." Nabiki smirked. " That's alright, business is booming.
Happosai came out from his room and greeted everyone. His eyes sparkled at seeing Ranka, going to leap into the air to glomp onto her chest, only to hit her defense barrier, that her gem activated. "Give it a rest, already.." Happosai sobbed with big eyes. " How cruel can you be to deny your master, when you made me loose my sexy girlfriend." Ranka rolled her eyes at him. " Boo hoo hoo." Happosai pouted. " At least let me flip your skirt." He sweat dropped as there was angry aura flaring from behind him from Nodoka, who was gripping onto her sheathed katana. " Are you sexually harassing my daughter, Happosai?" Happosai rubbed at the back of his head nervously. " I uh just remembered I uh left the iron on.." He ran off really fast as he disappeared into the shadows.
Akane was holding P-chan as she was talking to Ranma. " I'm so glad for you Ranma." Ranma rubbed at the back of his head nervously. " Ah yeah, thanks." He took notice that she was wearing a really nice dress and wasn't sure but it looked like her hair was different. " You ah look nice." Akane blushed some as she played with her hair with her other hand, while she held P-chan with the other. Ranma scratched at his face with one of his fingers a bit nervously. Akane beamed to herself, as she had taken Ranka's advice to let her hair get a little longer, which she had kept short. She really had to remember to listen to Ranka a bit more on things, as she could also tell that the fancy dress she was wearing, was also paying off.
Nodoka stuck her head into the kitchen. " Kasumi dear is there anything that I can do to help you out?" Kasumi smiled at her. "That's so kind of your Mrs. Saotome, of course you can." She had already been cooking the bigger parts of the meals, so she had her help out with smaller ones.
Ranka noticed her mother had gone off to the kitchen. " If you'll excuse me." Nabiki chuckled at her. " You're such a good girl." Ranka sweat dropped. " You could help out as well you know." Nabiki had a smug smile on her face. " I suppose I could but that's not where my talents work." Ranma gave her a dull look as she went off to the kitchen. " Of course not.."
She entered the kitchen. "Do you guys need anymore help?" Nodoka frowned a bit at how she had addressed things. " Ranka.. that is rude.." Ranka blinked, not really understanding. "Uh.. i'm sorry?" Kasumi giggled a bit as she kept at what she was doing. "Of course, oh but please put on an apron, I wouldn't want either of you two getting your nice outfits ruined."
Akane would've gone in to help as well but she was preoccupied with talking with Ranma from where they were sitting on the porch. She was the first one to break the awkward silence. " So um how is your mom taking things?" Ranma looked thoughtful for a minute before answering back. " She's uh taking it, but I also think she's kinda upset.." Akane gave him an intent look, telling him he'd better tell her. "How so?" He rubbed at the back of his head. " She got really mad at me and Ranka, thinking we were fighting and put us in "time out.. Not only that but she seems to be really raining down on Ranka, since well.. she found out about Ranko not really being what she thought she was.." Akane furrowed her brow some. " So, you think she's taking it out on Ranka?" Ranma shrugged. "Maybe." Akane sighed as she put her hands in her lap. " That is a lot for her to learn so suddenly, and how she kind of lost Ranko. I bet she probably wouldn't mind if Ranka changed her name to Ranko now, huh." Ranma just grumbled in reply.
Akane suddenly realized as she jumped up from where she was sitting. " Augh I could've been helping out in the kitchen! Maybe I can still make it." Luckily P-chan was sitting on the porch and not being held by her, as he might've gone flying, from how fast she shot up. Ranma groaned quietly as he watched her run off to the kitchen, hoping she had missed her opportunity. Sure Ranka had been making sure that what she had been cooking was edible and maybe Akane was starting to get better, but he didn't want to chance dealing with poison.
Akane had rushed into the kitchen, just as they had started finishing up. " Hey Kasumi, can I help too?" Kasumi smiled at her younger sister. " Oh well um, you can help Ranka with making the salad and then set the table." Ranka had already rinsed the lettuce off and chopped it up, at seeing a pouting Akane, she showed her the vegetables. " How about you chop em up." Nodoka tsked her on how she had said something again. "Ranka.. you could've said that a bit more politer." Ranka sighed as she shrugged her shoulders at her mother. " You know what I am.. so you should know how I am." She hung her head as she went and grabbed the table settings. " I'll go set the table.." She took her leave from the kitchen.
Kasumi put a hand to her face. " Oh dear.. Mr's Saotome don't you think you're being a little too hard on her?" Nodoka's face reddened in embarrassment. Akane kept at her task but also added on. "You need to remember she's like Ranma, auntie Saotome and she really is trying to live up to your expectations. At first she wasn't very good with "modesty", though not as bad as Ranma.. since she is a girl." Kasumi nodded in agreement. " I think she's very polite. I understand you wish she'd be a lot more lady like. Akane for example.. but, that's just how she is." Akane hmpfed as she finished with the vegetables as she mixed them in with the salad.
Out in the other room, Genma figured he could try to kiss up and earn some points with Ranka as she smiled at her. " You look very nice today Ranka." Ranka ignored him as she kept at her task, before going back into the kitchen. Ranma gave him a stern look with his arms crossed. " Ain't you suddenly being nice to her all of a sudden.. " Genma smiled some. " Well it's what your mother wants." Ranma gave him a dull look. " Right, I bet you're still thinking of selling her off.. or worse." He made a fist. " Do I need to give you another beat down, old man?" Genma sweat dropped as he waved his hands about. " Calm down boy.. " Soun turned the page on his newspaper. " Your wife is not one you want to trifle with Saotome. Even our master was no match against her." Soon the girls came out from the kitchen, as they set down the large spread of foods on the table. Akane set the bowl of salad down with a smile.
Nodoka came out and took a seat at the ground table, giving Genma a look. " Genma dear were you and Ranma fighting?" Genma sweat dropped more. " Just some banter between a father and son." Nodoka gave him a stern look. " Do tell Genma.. I do hope it wasn't about you up to no good regarding Ranka.." Genma got more nervous, as he could feel the angry aura from his wife, he panicked as he leapt up from his spot at the table, throwing himself off the porch as she jumped off into the pond, turning himself into a panda to escape further talk. Ranma and Ranka both sweat dropped at the amount of angry aura from their mother, just glad it wasn't directed at either of them.
Nodoka bristled in anger at realizing this is what would always happen when she came by to visit, but more so at how her husband had done so to avoid her. " I see how it is.. Well then.." She got up and went off into the kitchen. Kasumi just shook her head at Mr. Saotome, before she set up a plate of food for her father, as well as getting him a drink. Genma came back about to sit at the table,till he heard a loud clang as Nodoka set the wok of burnt vegetables down on the porch. She then walked over to where he was very fast, grabbing him by the back of his fur roughly as she dragged him out the porch with an angry smile on her face. " Remember panda's eat outside. Enjoy your meal Genma dear." Genma panda held up a wooden sign, that said "But, I want to eat dinner too.." Nodoka stormed back over, taking the sign from him. " Panda's can't talk.." She then went back over to the table looking annoyed as she sat back down. Ranma gave his father a smug smirk on his face. " Serves you right, old man." Ranka nodded in agreement. Soun did as well, as did Kasumi. Nabiki finally came downstairs and joined everyone at the table. " Oh wow this looks so good."
Genma panda pouted as he made another sign. " I'll turn back." Nodoka got up and moved over to him in a blur as she grabbed away his sign with an angry smile again. " Too late, you decided that it was more important to be a panda to avoid me, so stay a panda and enjoy your panda food.. I don't want to hear another peep from you, this is Ranma's celebration, not yours.."
A few minutes later Nodoka had taken her seat at the table again and Genma was true to what his sign had said as he came out from around the corner of the hall, having gone to the bathroom to change himself back, as he started to near the table with a hungry smile on his face. Nodoka gripped her glass of water, as she shot up in a blur from where she had been sitting, as she intercepted her husband, splashing the cold water on him, triggering his curse to reactivate, as he turned back into a panda. Ndooka had fire in her eyes as her angry aura spilled out. " Did you not hear me, Genma?" She said with an equally angry smile on her face as she sternly pointed outside to the porch to him. Ranma shrank back where he was sitting, watching intently as he gulped at how scary his mother could be. Ranka had a smug smirk on her face as she sipped some of her water, as she was enjoying watching the old man, get his just desserts. As well as how maybe now he wouldn't do stupid things around his wife. Soun silently said a prayer for his friend, as he continued his meal.
A little later after dinner was done, Genma tried to come back, having given Nodoka time to calm down as he had changed back again, thinking he could get away with coming back for dessert. He was met with the same angry response from his wife, as she splashed a glass of cold water at him, turning him back into a panda. " Genma.. did you NOT hear me, before?" She had her arms crossed with a deadly look on her face. Genma panda held up a sign with a confused look on his face. " I thought that was just for dinner?" Nodoka seemed to tower over him. "It seems you were NOT listening to me.. I told you, you can stay a panda and not make a peep, you're not ruining Ranma's celebration.." Genma panda made up another wooden sign that he held up. " What about me, it's also my celebration." Nodoka glowered in anger. " Do you really think you deserve such? After the horrible things you've done and keep on doing to our family.." She then once again sternly pointed outside to the porch, making sure that's where he went.
After a while, Nodoka set some bamboo sticks in the wok with an angry smile. " Here's your dessert." Then she went back off into the kitchen. Genma panda had tears streaming down his face as he pouted and nibbled on them. Of course he wanted cake and cookies and all the other sweets. Ranma looked really happy as he rubbed at his full belly. " Oh man that was so good." Akane took note of that and went off into the kitchen, determined to make him something for his big day, even if she had missed out on doing so before. She started to loose track of what she had on her mind to make. Ranka finished drying some dishes as she spotted Akane looking deep in thought and it was pretty easy to figure her out. "You want to make something for Ranma don't you?" Akane got flustered at being found out so quickly, and she tried to deny it. " No I don't!" Ranka gave her a dull look as she kept at her task. " Uhuh.." Kasumi and Nodoka had finished with their tasks as they left the kitchen.
Akane got a bit more flustered as she twiddled her fingers about, as she had to try to remember who it was she was dealing with, was essentially the other side of Ranma. She had dealt with Ranma as his girl side before yes, but it was different when the girl was a real girl and very intuitive. She just nodded at being read so easily. Ranka finished up drying the last of the dishes. " Banana bread, right?" Akane found her cheeks getting hot as she remembered how she had helped her with that and made her another one. She couldn't help but blush as that is what she was thinking to make, till she got side tracked.
Not too much later a beaming Akane set the plate with banana bread down on the table. Soun put his newspaper down as he eyed Ranma. " Son, have some, as it looks like Akane worked hard to make it." Akane smiled as she served up a piece to her father as well as Ranma. Genma panda came near the table, holding up a sign. " Ooh I want some too!" Nodoka glared daggers at him as she griped her swords sheath. " Genma.." She said in a dark tone, that sent him packing back outside to the porch. She then smiled at Ranma. " Mr. Tendo's right Ranma." She then turned her attention to Akane. " My it smells very good Akane." Akane smiled as she served up a piece to her. Ranka sipped some of her tea as she took a seat as Akane served her up a piece as well, while she was serving up other pieces, before serving herself and taking her seat. She found P-chan not too far, picking him up and sharing some with him.
Ranma grumbled as he ate some, annoyed at watching P-chan. "It's not bad." Akane kept smiling, feeling happy that she was able to make something for him and thankful for Ranka's guidance.
Not much later the Saotome after saying their good bye's, headed back home. At seeing that Nodoka had left, Genma went and changed back with hot water, back into his human form, letting out a deep sigh. Akane smiled a bit at him, having taken pity on him she had set aside a piece of her banana bread for him. " Here Mr. Saotome, I saved you a piece." Genma had tears streaming down his face as he thanked her. Though she had taken pity on him, she also sternly let him know she was still not very happy with him. " It doesn't mean I'm not still angry with what you did to Ranka.." Genma had already scarfed down the slice of bread as he rubbed at his stomach. " Oh but remember Akane dear, she's forgiven me." Akane crossed her arms, still having a cross look on her face. " I think there's more to it, if you ask me." Genma sipped some of his tea. " Well my dear, for a time you felt the same way that I did about the girl."
Akane tightened her fist some at hearing that. " Well I.. It's different now, Ranka's different too. Honestly though Mr. Saotome you've only yourself to blame for the hate. Ranka is Ranma's other side, and essentially she is your biological daughter. I really wanted you to get along, but now I can't really say I feel the same after what you tried to do to her.. I may fight with Ranka sometimes and have said some mean things.. but I never tried to get rid of her like you did.." She took her leave from the room before she got too upset.
P-chan had been listening as he was sitting next to Akane, after she left the room he glared at Genma and smacked his hoofs down on the ground, as he charged with anger at him. Akane had gotten upstairs just about as she heard Genma yelling and angry pig noises as she ran back downstairs. She skidded back into the living room, to see Genma with marks all over him and P-chan growling at him. "What in the..?" She grabbed up P-chan in her arms and gave Genma an odd look before going back upstairs.
In the mean time once the Saotome's had gotten back home, it was time to get ready for bed. Once they had gotten ready, Ranma made sure to turn into a girl, so there wouldn't be any problems from his mother, about staying in the same room as Ranka. Ranma-chan laid back on her bed patting her stomach. " I ate good." Ranka was sitting up in her bed, looking thru one of her magazines. " You sure did but it was your special occasion after all." Ranma-chan looked a little flustered for a second before getting a more serious look on her face. " WE really need to talk about what happened.. I wanted to talk with you after but.. mom was intense.." Ranka nodded as she kept looking thru her magazine. " Are you going to lecture me too then?" Ranma-chan grumbled as she rubbed at her head flustered. " Well.. if I am it won't be as intense as mom. But what I really want to talk about it is, I know we can "link up" through each other's minds and see what's going on, but we can't seem to be able to talk through the mind. I mean that would've been really useful, ya know.. Since we can sync up we should be able to do that, right?"
Ranka leaned back some as she thought about it. " Possibly, I'm not really sure." Ranma-chan rubbed at her head for a second as she thought. " Oh, but your gem probably would know, right? I mean.. I was really worried ya know." Ranka got a bit flustered as she played with her necklace. "I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." Ranma-chan got a serious look on her face. " So what the heck happened, I can kinda guess but I want the whole story. Well and Ryouga said there was another him and apparently was right." Ranka sighed and nodded. " Apparently the devil, made a clone of P-chan, the one we were blaming and thinking it was the real one. Also apparently.. Ivory is pissed off that I killed her, among other things.. so she had evil P-chan lure me away with my necklace.. I was too angry to think straight. I know I have another necklace, but that one's really important to me.."
Ranma-chan had her arms crossed as she listened, unlike her mother she wasn't going to lecture her sister about the necklace, as she knew how important it was to her and also understand why she had killed the demon. She also couldn't fault her for being too angry, as that was understandable.
Ranka kept playing with her necklace as they talked, giving Ranma a concerned look. "But now you've gone and pissed her off too, and.. she's got your number.." Ranma-chan huffed back. " That's fine by me, because "she's" been pissing ME off! By constantly harassing and assaulting my sister.. I don't feel bad about hitting that demon either." Ranka bit her lip some. "I know but she's on a different level." Ranma-chan laid back pissed off. " I still got a good hit in, until the damn rain anyways.. but yeah I know I need to use the gem. Clearly her intention was to get you without any magic defense…" She muttered some things under her breath, before tightening her fists. " How dare she swing us around like that!" Ranka smiled a tad nervously at how mad her siblings was getting. "So you'll feel better if you dish it back out to her, right?" Ranma-chan still had a fist balled. " Yes, dammit!"
Ranka didn't argue as she had felt the same and had dished back what Ivory had done to her, back to her, before. " It doesn't help that she's jealous.." Ranma-chan grumbled at hearing that. " I don't care if she is, it's ALL "her" own damned fault, stupid devil girl.." Ranka sighed as she was listening to her sibling rant, as well as getting guidance from her gem. "If it's a negative emotion, it fuels evil. I've been there, so I know how it works." Ranma-chan gave a questionable look. " So is that why that stupid gem necklace burns?" Ranka didn't take offense as she knew what her sibling was talking about. "Pretty much, it's basically full of negativity and evil and burns to the touch, to others or to the controllers will."
Ranma was pretty sure Ranka was okay from what had happened before, but still put it out there. " Are you okay from that other necklace crap?" Ranka nodded. "I was able to heal myself, otherwise I'd probably still have the burn marks.." She sighed as she thought to herself how Ivory on a few occasion kept mocking her about how she had gone "soft". That couldn't be denied since now she was on the opposing side, and could be burned by the evil of the necklace, just as how before it had happened to Ranma when he dealt with her, when she was being controlled by Satan to be evil. In that way she had gone "soft", but her vicious~ness had not.
Ranma-chan could tell Ranka was likely thinking about how before her original necklace had burned her. It did but what Ranma had witnessed between Ivory and Ranka, the burning was way more intense. "I hope you're not blaming yourself about what happened when you were being controlled by that bastard. You know I don't count that as you. Besides, it was nothing compared to what that devil girl's necklace did to you, it seemed constant." Ranka tensed up some and smiled a bit. "Ahah you caught me. No I know. It was "her" will and intent, that and like you said, she's a demon.. That's been hard for me to accept, but I have." Ranma-chan smirked some. " Well you did kill her." Ranka sighed. " Just a clone though, so she'll keep coming back.." Ranma-chan had a smug look on her face. " And mom killed her too, so now it's my turn." Ranka smiled some. " It is only fair." She went back to playing with her necklace. "Okay so my gem says it is possible, to talk thru our minds, but a bit of a process." Ranma-chan gave her a look. " Meaning?" Ranka replied back. " Training." Ranma-chan: " Well let's do what we gotta do, so we can do that faster."
Ranka smiled a bit at how antsy Ranma was being. " I sorta remember with the devil, he was able to thru the gem, so it's likely if you've got your gem on you, that'd make it easier to sync, and of course chi. Ranma-chan jumped up from her bed as she ran and grabbed her green necklace from where she had it, putting it on. " Okay, so let's try it. I'll feel better when we can do this." Ranka nodded. " Just don't over do it, it could take some time to adjust to using." Ranma-chan waved her hand about and pfted. " I can take it."
Ranka wasn't going to argue, as her red gem lit up as she concentrated her chi, with Ranma-chan doing the same. After a few minutes she grumbled at not getting results. " Is it working or not?" Ranka sweat dropped as she stopped her concentration. "Hmm, I'm not sure, was your gem lighting up?" Ranma-chan frowned a bit annoyed. " No, I don't think it was." She sighed as she got up from her bed and went and sat down at the ground table on the floor. " We might have to try to sync up closer to each other."
Ranma-chan rubbed at her head before getting up from her bed and going over to sit where Ranka was. "Okay, so now what?" Ranka rubbed at her head some. "Joining hands, so the chi is shared and then just doing what we tried before." Ranma-chan nodded as they both touched their palms of their hands together, while concentrating on the chi an aura, with both of their gems lighting up this time. While still concentrating, Ranma-chan tried her hand at it ("So, did it work?") Ranka was also still concentrating as she responded thru the mind ( " I think so.") Ranma-chan broke concentration some as she was too excited, as she put her fist up in the air. "Alright!" Ranka giggled some at her siblings excitement. Ranma-chan had a big smile on her face. " So now we can talk whenever and wherever we want to, right?" Ranka smiled back a bit. " Once we train with it a bit more, we should be able to yeah." Ranma-chan was a little annoyed but fine with it as long as it gave out results. " Fine by me, as long it works."
Ranka smiled for a second before getting up. " I think that's enough for a first try, it's best to ease into it." She then went back over to her bed, going back to what she was doing before. Ranma-chan rubbed at her head a little annoyed but knew it was best to do it the right way. " Yeah, yeah." She said as she got up and went back to her own bed, laying back as she grabbed a manga to read. She could sense her sister was feeling a bit down. " Is everything okay with you and mom?" Ranka sighed as she flipped a page in her magazine. " Not really.. I just don't meet her expectations of being a perfect young lady.. She keeps saying I don't talk polite enough, or dress up perfectly.."
Ranma-chan shook her head. " Remember what I said before." Ranka nodded. Ranma-chan sat her manga down as she crossed her arms. " Well if ya ask me, you meet her expectations, a lot better than I did, and I think that she'll end up dealing with that and realize her expectations are too much and don't work." Ranka flipped another page. " Thanks.. That'd be nice. I mean I try to compromise, but I guess I'm a tom boy."
Ranma-chan got annoyed at hearing that, jumping up and going over to Ranka's bed, putting her in a head lock, before giving her a gentle whap to the head. "Don't say that, or I'll have to bop you again." Ranka looked flustered as she rubbed at her head some. Ranma-chan shook her head at her. " Remember, that's Akane's job." She went back over to her own bed, looking annoyed. Ranka gave her siblings a dull look back. " You'd better not let her hear you say that." Ranma-chan sweat dropped a bit nervously as she gave her sister a look. " Why, you gonna tell her?" Ranka blinked. " And why would I do that? She'd likely beat me up too by default." Ranma-chan laughed a little before stopping herself. " Yeah.. she likes to do that, doesn't she.." Ranka shrugged back. " Pretty much." They both laughed a bit before saying good night to each other.
After breakfast and clean up Nodoka announced that she had plans to go out with her friend Kalu for a while, making sure the siblings knew if they were going out to lock up and leave a note, but would prefer they stay put. Once she got replies back from them, she bid them fare well as she made sure they locked up after she had left.
Ranma was flopped on the couch watching some tv, having changed back into a boy before breakfast. " Boy she really doesn't like us leaving does she?" Ranka nodded from where she was sitting on the couch. " Looks like she's going to maybe tell aunt Kalu that any marriage talk is off." Ranma perked up some at hearing that. "Oh man that would be great, the normal amount of Kuno's crap is annoying but he's been even more annoying than usual." When he looked again, he noted that his sister had gotten up and gone off somewhere, until he could hear her in the kitchen.
Ranka riffled through the kitchen cabinets for a few minutes, before deciding she would need to go out. She had planned to to try to make a certain recipe to try to impress and also smooth over her mother.
Ranma noticed out of the corner of his eye as Ranka disappeared upstairs, coming back down a few minutes later. Ranka caught on to being watched as she put her shoes on. " I'm going to go out to the store really quick." Ranma gave her an annoyed look. "Where's the fire? I get that mom said we could go out, but she also said she'd rather we not." Ranka crossed her arms giving a frustrated look. " I just want to try to make this certain recipe before she gets back and obviously I don't have all the stuff I need to make it, so I need to go to the store." Ranma rubbed at his head, as he got up from the couch. " Well now I want to go too." He kept quiet about saying anything that would anger her, knowing his mother didn't want Ranka going out by herself.
Ranka sighed as she played with her necklace. " Well hurry up, who knows when mom will get back and she's gonna be in a mood when she does. Do you want her to go off on "us" again like before?" Ranma sweat dropped nervously as he put his shoes on. " No way.." Ranka put her hands on her hips as she huffed. " Well that's why I want to try to impress her with this recipe." Ranma put his hands up. " Okay. Oh yeah a note or she'll be really mad." Ranka grumbled as she went off and wrote up a note and put it on the living room table, before they took their leave from the house, making sure to lock it up.
Soon they weren't very far from their destination when suddenly someone tossed the contents of water from a bucket on Ranma, which also splashed Ranka, getting them both wet, triggering his curse, as he turned into a girl. Ranma-chan grumbled as she balled her fists and turned to look at who the culprit was, expecting it to be and old little lady. Ranka huffed as she tended to her hair, with most of the water getting her sweatshirt jacket she was wearing, until she realized who the water throwing, culprit was.
Ivory taunted the boy turned girl as she snickered. "Oops, was that me?" Ranma-chan growled at her. " You DO want me to beat you up again, don't YOU?!" Ivory laughed mockingly at her. "You got a hit in, but as I recall I gave you and Ranka the ride of the life time." Ranka glared daggers at her. " Yeah without asking!" Ivory gave off an evil fanged smirk. " Permission is soo over rated, anyways." Ranma-chan growled at her and lunged, trying to swing a punch at her. Ivory evaded the attack, jumping back in a blur, leaving Ranma to stumble as the target was gone. "How rude, don't you know it's " ladies first." Ranma-chan balled her fists in anger. " What lady? All I see is an ugly demon!" Ivory sneered as she grabbed onto a truck that was parked on the side of the road, using her demonic strength as she lifted it up off the ground.
Ranka's eyes went wide as she took notice of what was going on, before Ranma had, her red gem lit up making a barrier around both of them, as Ivory flung the truck off into their direction with a cackle. With the truck plowing into them, as it also plowing through the near by stone wall, crashing through the house, sending them both tumbling off into the luckily empty house. Ivory cackled from a distance as she watched the destruction. " THAT's for calling me ugly, Ranma Saotome!"
Ranka kept her concentration on her gem, keeping the defense barrier up around them, so they weren't hurt by all the impacts. Ranma-chan had luckily still had her green gem necklace on from last night, and used her chi to activate it, to also make another layer of defense. " That.. demon gorilla! Did she really throw a truck at "us?!" Ranka sighed. " "She" really did.." They got themselves out from the restored house as fast as possible.
Ivory smirked at the message she had sent, but she also knew from past experiences it was best to clean up after a fight. She snapped her fingers, making the destruction disappear, like it had never happened. " Let "that" be a warning to you." She then disappeared.
Ranma-chan was too angry as she was ranting to herself. Ranka looked annoyed as she she sighed. " I should've brought the katana.." That made Ranma-chan stop ranting. "Well has she ever thrown a truck at you before?" Ranka hmmed as she thought about it. " No, but then I didn't tell her she was ugly either. That's just how strong demons can be." She sighed as she tried to clear her mind of what had just happened. " Let's just.. go shopping and get back before she tries something again." Ranma-chan grumbled as they did so.
After getting what was needed from the store and getting back to the house, Ranka was already working on making the recipe, while Ranma had gone off upstairs to take a hot bath. Ranka had been so angry at what had happened, her angry aura had been hot like fire, so she had dried off from the water attack.
Once Ranma was done with his bath, having turned back into a guy and getting dressed, he was back downstairs, where he sat back down on the couch. Of course he was still angry at Ivory, but tried to focus on other things. " So what the heck are you making?" Ranka stuck her head out from the kitchen. " A mint chocolate chip cheesecake, fancy right?" Ranma whistled at hearing all that. " Yeah that's something else." He had never attempted nor would he had known of such a recipe, even when he was a girl. He really couldn't see why his mother didn't think his sister was lady like enough, as she surely blew his girl side out of the water." So, tell me again, why mom doesn't think you're lady like?"
Ranka stuck her head out of the kitchen again and shrugged her shoulders. " Maybe she will with this fancy recipe." Ranma gave her a thumbs up before he went back to watching tv and she went back into the kitchen.