- AN -

Full steam ahead apparently. I'm bouncing between this story and my other work right now. I have the fledgling of a one shot boiling in there too but I don't want to try to do to much all at once. I really should go get evaluated for adhd one day. Well enjoy the show and tootles!

-Story Start -

A lot could change in one month Ranma had learned. Between his dojo, new students, training with his mom, and not having to find off life threatening challenges every day, he was finding that life could in fact be pretty good. And today was no different. It was coming into the evening, and his last class was letting out. The now usual suspects were to last to leave, making up Usagi and her steadfastly loyal group of eclectic friends. He found that ever since he showed off with that chi ball, he had been fielding questions from them almost every night ever since. As a new teacher he couldn't exactly pinpoint the feeling that stirred in his chest, but he knew he was happy that someone was actually interested in the deeper parts of his art. And as the group was making themselves comfortable on their mats while Michiru closed the shutters for the night while Haruka and Makoto helped put away the excess training equipment, Ranma could say that things seemed to be going well. Nodding as Ami already had a hand raised as she sat on the floor with legs underneath her, Ranma sat in front of the group and nodded to her,

"What's up Ami?" They had scolded him more than once to be more informal with them, since he himself made a point for them to drop the Ranma-sensei when it was just them.

"Okay, so yesterday you tried to explain chi and ki are the same thing. But then you also mentioned there are different forms of it. Can you explain that better?" Ever the student, she was trying her best to keep up with the others even if physical pursuits weren't her thing.

Ranma again held up a hand focusing until a bright ball of pure chi formed and hovered above it, "Well, as I've learn, chi and ki are the same thing. Both refer to the life energy that flows that every living thing. Sometimes I refer to it's pure form as just chi. But…" Here he started to mold it, pouring his usual unyielding confidence into the ball while it took on a slight yellow glow, "If you add an emotional component to it, it takes on a different feel so to speak. It's easier to manipulate this way, and I can fire off plenty of these as long as I hold on to that emotional state." Absorbing the energy back into himself, Ranma shrugged and leaned back on his hands. "But there's a downside."

Ami was taking notes on her computer, so it was Rei who joined the conversation, "I mean, if you can use it as an attack without actually touching your opponent, where's the drawback? Does it use a lot of energy?" The shrine maiden knew just how drained she felt after a particularly powerful fire reading after all.

Shaking his head Ranma thought about how he would word this. Most of his training on this subject was all about feeling his way through it. Putting that into words wasn't his biggest strength after all. But these were his students, and wasn't that a weird things to say still, "Well, I've seen that, the more you use a certain emotional component, just like any training, the easy it is to use it. So for me, I draw from confidence, which in turn as long as I believe whole heartily I'm the best, I should never have a problem forming a chi attack right?" At the girls' nods, Ranma pressed on as he tried not to dig up to many bad memories. "But what if you draw on other emotions? Say, sadness, anger? Well then you'd have to feel that way often wouldn't you? Would that bleed over into other parts of your life? It'd be like flipping a switch eventually wouldn't it?"

Ami interrupted here, "Sounds like polarization."

Ranma snapped his fingers and pointed to the bookworm, "That's the word, points to Ami-chan." Chuckling Ranma nodded, "That's the thing. I watched someone important to me almost be consumed by a depression once he learned a chi based attack that used despair as it's main fuel. And another, someone I trusted, she was always so angry. She was using a chi based attack probably before anyone else. But that anger, it was like a switch. She could be fine one moment but then swinging a mallet the next." Ranma turned his gaze to all of them, "Chi skills and techniques are to be carefully practiced. I'm retraining myself to use mainly pure chi now even though it's a bit harder to use, but I think it'll be worth it in the end." Ranma tried not to think about Happosai and his perverted use of chi. Sure it extended his life, but did he have to be such a pervert about it?"

Rei shrugged, "Being confident all the time doesn't sound so bad."

Makoto chimed in while passing Usagi a cookie from a plastic storage tub in her gym bag. "But when does confidence become arrogance? It's a thin line when it come to martial arts sometimes." At Ranma's grateful nod, Makoto beamed while ignoring Minako and Usagi snagging more cookies.

Ranma nodded as he stood and stretched slightly working the kinks out of his back, he had more training to do after this after all, "That's the point I think. Everything in moderation. I think if one spread the use of emotional chi out along with pure chi, it'd probably negate the downsides of it's use. But, it is your life force after all. And unless you learn how to pull natural chi from the world around you for your use, you only have so much."

Ami frowned at that, "Wait, I thought you said only living things have chi?"

Ranma nodded and tapped a foot on the floor, "Isn't the earth around us alive too? Sure here in the city it's harder to get at, but out in nature? In the forest's and ocean and along rivers and mountains? There's tons of life, and just as much energy. Accessing it is just a lot harder, for now at least. Not without a lot of special training." Ranma had met sages who claimed to be able to use such energy, but he hadn't that to try himself in some time.

While again Ami took notes, Usagi raised her hand to which Ranma nodded at her, "That time, when I touched your chi and it exploded, what was that about?"

Ranma held his arms out wide and grinned, "You're like an ocean of life energy. And it's mostly uncontrolled. Just coming into contact with my own densely controlled chi started drawing in some of yours and kinda turned it into a chi bomb. At least that's what I think. We'd have to play around with it a bit to figure out exactly what happened." Though it did give Ranma an idea about how to gather energy with a different type of technique. Miniaturizing his Shoten-ha was great, but what if he could power it at any time or make it instant?

While the girls ignored the young mans odd chuckling, Haruka and Michuru both started to stand, "It's probably best if we hit the road. Wouldn't want to keep Sensei up all night."

"Speak for yourself." Minako leered at Ranma, though was promptly ignored.

"Yeah we should get going, wanna hit my place before we all head home?" Rei offered verbally, though that was used as code for going on a quick patrol for the night.

Listening to the girls make plans Ranma was already making for the back office, "Be safe would yah, those demon attacks are getting rarer but they're still out there, and you aren't up to fighting them just yet. Missing all of the girls quick looks to each other they all started making their way to the door. It was Haruka who made it first, pausing after she opened it however and set off the chime because there was someone in her way. I short haired brunette probably about a head shorter than her,

"Sorry miss, pretty sure sensei is closing up for the night."

Grinning the girl nodded, "No worries, he knows me. We have important things to talk about."

Well that set every one of the girls on edge, and while sure they didn't know Ranma that well, they did know he was a good person. Especially since as a normal human he was willing to go out and fight youma, to great effect at that. Deciding to back out of the way but stay behind Haruka called out,

"Hey sensei, someone is here for you!" Haruka watched carefully as the girl holding a book back strolled her way into the space.

"I told you to quit with the sensei stuff, at least until I actually earn my master-" Coming back out and spotting Nabiki of all people in his dojo, the mood dropped into the pit of cats where all the rest of his fears rested, "y. Well, took you long enough." Gone was the carefree sensei the sailor senshi had gotten to know in the last month. Eyes like ice and even the room felt a tad colder, this obviously was not someone Ranma wanted to see.

"Oh Ranma baby, why the face, you knew one of us would find you eventually." Confident that at the minimum Ranma wouldn't get physical with her, that left her with words and wit. The field she always held the advantage in. "I'm sure some of the others would love to know where you've ended up."

Diving even further into the soul of ice Ranma padded across the dojo floor to stand within arms reach of the middle Tendo girl, "What do you want Nabiki. I'm closing up for the night."

Scoffing Nabiki looked around, "Must be nice. Being able to leave everything behind so you can just start over. Leave behind your mess for others to clean up." Sure, nothing had happened since he had left. No one had gone after Akane without Ranma there, and the Tendo home had probaly seen it's longest time without any repairs needed since Ranma moved in. Now if she could get rid of Genma that'd be the real bonus. In fact the only thing that had been going on was everyone looking for the wayward martial artist.

"Send em my way then Nabs. But give them all this one warning. Damage my dojo or hurt any of my students, and they'll get the Saffron treatment." Ranma made sure to hold eye contact with the mercenary girl. He had hoped he had more time to deal with the Nerima crew, but apparently his time was up.

Pausing and actually paying attention to Ranma, Nabiki realized perhaps to late that she had taken the joke a little to far. She wasn't above righting wrongs however. Reaching into her bag and resolutely ignoring the tensing of both Ranma and the group of girls behind her, Nabiki pulled out a covered bundle. "Here, from Happosai."

"Wuh?"

Pushing the object into his chest before stepping away as he grabbed it himself, Nabiki gave him a rueful smile and looked around once more. "I'm not actually mad at you, you know. If anything I'm upset that you got out before I could. Not that I'm far behind." Turning and admiring the small space, Nabiki had tons of questions burning in her mind. Because he was the simpleton that she had thought she had pegged out from day one. So no name jock with no money to his name and no ambition besides beating the tar out of other no name jocks. But here he was, running a business. Color her shocked.

"You aren't going to sell my spot to everyone and their mom back in Nerima?" Getting a feel for the firm bundle now in his hands, Ranma got to unwrapping it from the white cloth. The soul of ice shattered in an instant, as now sitting in his hands was a dojo tile, and tied to it with a string that he slowly removed was a very official looking scroll. "Nabs…"

"Nah, no reason to. Unless you really do want me to tell them." Nabiki turned back to the stunned boy, "But apparently you've been so busy that you haven't noticed Happosai apparently passed through here a while ago, watched a couple of your classed to heard some of the rumors about you." Shrugging Nabiki weighed what she wanted to say next, "You know, running a business can be stressful. Need any help on the paper side of things?"

Ranma couldn't really hear her, to busy looking at the tile with his name on it, proclaiming him as the master of the school. He'd really have to spar with Happosai again soon, the old letch. "Uh, I've mostly got it down. My business related seals arrived not long ago, and mom has been helping me out a lot."

Nabiki nodded but couldn't help but appreciate the man in front of her. He'd come a long why from the awkward foot in mouth riddled boy she'd met a few years ago. "Well maybe I'll go see aunty then. But Ranma, I do want to say something." Seeing Ranma look up to her properly, no soul of ice making her feel like a ghost was squeezing her heart, Nabiki smiled, "You've been through a lot, and it was probably unfair how so many of us treated you. Buuut you were always doing your best. And at least my gripe, the finances, you did help however you could. Don't think I didn't notice that you were letting me take those pictures of your girl side."

Coming back into more of himself, Ranma nodded, "I couldn't think of any other way of contributing to the house, so I figured letting you do your thing was the best I could do."

Seeing the Ranma had more layers to himself than she initially thought, Nabiki realized that maybe there was more to the man than she thought. Hmmm…and her sister didn't want the engagement anymore either. A visit to aunty might just be for the best. "Well Ranma, I hear there are monster attacks in the area, and I do wanna say hi to your mom, so how about it, escort a girl through the night?"

Not liking how this new girl worded that, Makoto and the others wanted to step in then. First she comes in like she owns the place, and now she acts like an old friend who didn't just threaten him with, well they weren't sure, but it wasn't nice. "Sensei, is everything okay?"

Almost forgetting the other group was still here Ranma nodded, "I'm good yeah. Uh. I'll see you all tomorrow, last class before the weekend. As usual get some rest and eat well. Usagi, that means not junk food." Ignoring the girl's whining, Ranma turned back to Nabiki, "Sure, let me close up and we can go." Why did he feel like he had just missed something very important? Eh, it'd probably blow up in his face in a bit.

Watching their sensei close up the back room and start turning off lights, the undercover defenders of love and justice had no choice but to leave. Though not without a few of them giving Nabiki the stink eye as they left. Grinning and wondering why such nonsense always seemed to follow the sex changing boy, Nabiki followed along behind him as he finished turning off the lights and closed and locked the door behind them. "They seem like nice girls."

Ranma nodded, "They are, and a few of them actually are picking up the art pretty well. Though the short blonde one could use all the help she can get." Ranma had his hands linked linked behind his head as they walked down the sidewalk under the street lights. It was starting to quiet down in the area as even the Crown was starting to close it's doors.

Nabiki had her bag over her shoulder, smiling softely at the clearing maturing boy next to her, "For what it's worth, I do think it was good for you to leave Nerima." Suppressing a snort at his look she motioned around them, "I've been watching you since you arrived in Nerima, and even I could tell towards the end there that you were going to snap one day. And I'd rather not have a mountain sized crater where the house is right now. I think Kasumi would have a hard time cleaning that one up."

Chuckling at her attempt at humor Ranma really couldn't fault her logic. Before he and Happosai had had a chance to really sit down and talk one night, he had been on a hair trigger. Curious though, he voiced a question, "How are things, really going on back there?"

Nabiki shrugged, "The usual suspects left for a bit to the south to go look for you. Didn't find anything and came back. Ryoga wanders in and out every other week for a day or so. Akari had to come drag him home once but he didn't seem to be fighting it at all. Ukyo and Shampoo visit pretty often, both are of the mind that we're hiding you. The Kuno's are the Kuno's, so no changes there. Akane though, well she's been a little different."

"How so?" While worried about his forced fiancee, he had already come to terms that that part of his life was probably done and gone.

"Still quick to anger, but she can't seem to even figure out what it is she's angry about. I'm starting to think, like you, she's going to blow her top one day." Nabiki shuddered at what that might look like with her baby sister. She loved her, but the girl needed to relax sometimes. "Oh, and the father's are back to drinking all the time and wailing about how much of a failure you are and blah blah blah." Gesturing with a free hand, her facial expression told Ranma exactly how she felt about the fathers.

"Well, even though I know you didn't mean to, but maybe this is a good thing, exposing where I am." At Nabiki's shocked look Ranma shrugged, "I'm going to have to deal with everyone soon anyway, might as well be on my terms." Thinking about it, he'd have to talk to his mom about one of those, but the rest, he thought that maybe he could handle them finally. He had plenty of time to start thinking about it, as the rest of their walk was quiet. With him deep in thought and idle weaving through the thinning crowd as they slowly ventured towards the suburbs. Nabiki alternated between enjoying the cooling night air and watching the expressive boy's face as he worked through whatever problem he had in his head. Maybe, just maybe, if she had seen this side of him a little sooner, maybe she wouldn't have minded the engagement. But as it was, he was her little brother in all but blood and name. To much had happened, he and honestly she had done to much for any type of romance to have a chance. Sighing and mentally waving that what if away, Nabiki instead worried about the rest of the evening.

"Ranma?" Her voice was quiet, but he heard her all the same. "I think, actually, I'm going to head home."

"I thought you wanted to see mom?" Confused but willing to hear her out, Ranma stopped to turn back to the woman before him.

"Yeah well. I have some things to work through myself, and I need to get back before the others start asking to many questions. I told them I was going to look at a cram school." Not that she needed one, her grades were always well above average.

Nodding Ranma shot Nabiki a grin, "Well, don't be a stranger I guess, you know where I am, so come visit sometime." He paused himself before coming to his own mental decision, "I'll call you with a full list, but for now, go ahead and tell that old bat cologne where I am. I think I can deal with the amazons first."

"Okay will do. See you around, Ranma-kun." Nabiki turned and started a slow jog back towards the train station. If she hurried she should be able to make the last train. And while Ranma both watched her, and extended out his senses to make sure no youma were making any surprise appearances, Ranma couldn't do much more than smile and watch her go. Thinking that at least one meeting went better than expected, Ranma turned in place and continued his trek home.

The next day however Ranma was regretting everything about dealing with anyone from Nerima. While his conversation with his mother about his options regarding one of the fiances and possible solutions, his current situation was not ideal at all. He was once more ending his noon class and preparing for his martial arts class but now standing in the room with him were Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse. Sighing and turning to them fully while kicking a yoga mat out of the way, Ranma drew himself up fully, "Break or damage anything and I will hurt you."

"Why you no good enemy of women-" A quick splash and a flash of movement and Mousse now in duck form was making a ruckus from inside a cage. Casting a doubtful expression to Cologne, she cackled and hopped within arm length of the young master.

"Forgive the part timer. It's good to see you son in law. You've been doing well I see."

"Sorry elder, but I'm not your son in law, you know that."

"You know amazon law boy. And you've kept your wife waiting long enough I think." Cologne hadn't made a move towards fighting yet, but Ranma had a feeling she'd be on him in an instant if she felt it necessary.

Shrugging Ranma looked at both Cologne and Shampoo, trying to remember exactly what he wanted to say to both of them. Then he decided to wing it because plans never seemed to work out for him to well anyway. "Look, Shampoo. I figured out a while ago you wouldn't have kept chasing me if you didn't have some actual feelings for me." Seeing a smile grow on her face Ranma held up a hand, "But! My first meeting you was you trying to kill me. Then trying to kill a girl forced into an engagement with me. And then whip lashing into loving me yourself. You've gotta admit, none of that sounds like love material."

"But Shampoo love her Airen now. That all that matter." The girls eyes were glassy, and for once Ranma didn't think it was a trick.

"Look, I uh. I'm not saying I'm going to marry you, but I'm definitely not going back to China." Seeing her crest fallen look as he finally spelled out some of his feelings, Ranma had to ruthlessly beat down the part of him that wanted to make her feel all better and say the wrong thing. "But, I'm trying to start over and build a new life. I'm reconnecting with me mom and I'm going to be fixing all these fiances and rivals nonsense. And I could use a friend, a real one. Could you handle that for now?" Looking down to Cologne Ranma had to point at her as well, "And no disrespect elder, but you need to stay out of it."

Cologne cackled as the girl next to her seemed to worry over her decision. "Why son in law, I do believe you're starting to use that head of yours for more than just fighting." Looking up to the girl before looking at Ranma, Cologne nodded, "You'll let her visit often then yes? As a friend." Ranma nodded slowly. "Then I'm fine with it, Shampoo."

"Yes Grandmother."

"Perhaps, we did go about this wrong. No more acting I think, just, be yourself from now on, got it?"

"Acting?" Ranma was slightly shocked as Shampoo was already nodding quickly and bowing to her grandmother as she lept out of the doorway and away over the rooftops with Mousse in hand, "Hey wait a-and she's gone." Turning back to the young woman who usually would have been glomping him by now, Ranma had to take a deep breath. "What did she mean by acting?"

"Well." Shampoo struck a pose that would have been nose bleed inducing on anyone not used to having well formed females thrown at him constantly, "What do macho guys usually like? Bimbos. So I played the part, well mostly." Relaxing and walking around the room, doing as Ranma had been and kicking yoga mats into the corner, Shampoo turned to look at the boy who had won her heart long ago, "But, do you really think an Amazon princess in training would really be that way?"

Knowing better by now not to answer that with an agreement, Ranma sighed and went about his usual tasks, "So it was an act that was in hopes of winning me over. Gotcha. And the feelings?"

Shampoo spread her arms wide as she twirled, "Oh I do love you airen. You're strong, brave, dedicated, loyal. All great qualities. No matter what kitchen destroyer says." Giggling the amazonian princess had to smile, "But it was nice to not have to follow the expectations of my village while I was here. It was like a vacation where I could play pretend for a while." Missing Ranma's blush at her open honesty as she did another twirl. Shampoo kicked the last mat into the corner, "No matter what, where you go, I'll go. You don't know every amazon law, and I know of a few that will make both of our lives easier."

"Wait wah-what's the catch."

"You're learning after all."

It was to girlish giggling that the next training class began to file into the dojo, many wondering just who the exotic beauty was that was circling around a somewhat exasperated but smiling Ranma. But he shooed her away to the back office while he got to work training and teaching. It was nice, Ranma figured, to work in this routine he had built. The crowd passing by would sometimes pause to watch or wave, his students what few he had at the moment were all willing to learn and put up with a younger teacher. Though that probably had to do with watching him sometimes pull the impossible and bound across the ceiling from time to time. But he was making a stable life here, and that was what he wanted most right now. Eventually however Shampoo did get bored and strolled out to watch him train his class before asking for a spar. That ended up treating the class to a typical Nerima 'light' sparring session. Between faster than the eye speeds and acrobatics that would make any gymnast green with envy, Ranma did have to admit that it was nice to spar with someone closer to his level for once. It had been a while and he was worried he might get rusty. It wasn't like the youma were any threat after all. But the spar did allow the trainees to see just what they were working towards and some, including the sailor senshi toward the back, were in awe of just what normal humans could actually be capable of. And now with Shampoo wandering around, the rest of the evening was her acting as a sort of assistant before she too had to make her way home with a promise to see Ranma again soon. Waving her off as yet another day was coming to a close, Ranma found he was yet again alone with the small group of demon fighters.

"Ranma-sensei, that girl from yesturday, was everything alright?" Makoto was ready to defend her new sensei from wayward hussies if need be.

Chuckling Ranma shook his head as he ran a towel along he brow, sparring with Shampoo had worked up a sweat and his normal Chinese styled clothes were more than a little ruffled, "Everything's fine. She's the sister of my fiance, well, maybe former fiance at this point. It's all kinda complicated."

Distraught and then immediately elated, Minako bulled forward, "Oh so sensei is single. We can fix that you know."

Rolling his eye Ranma waved the girl off, "I'd think demon hunters have more to worry about than dating and boys don't they?" Seeing all of the assembled girls go stiff and stare at him, Ranma tilted his head, "Something I said?"

Scratching her cheek and praying the trigger happy outers didn't go overboard, Usagi smiled nervously, "What makes you think we're demon hunters?"

Ranma shrugged and pointed at each of them, "I mean, you've been in my classes for a month now, I've got a pretty good fell for your personal chi." Starting down the line with Rei he listed them off, "All of your are steeped in magic, Rei has something to do with fire, Ami and water, Minako and some blend of passion or metal, can't tell. Makoto is definitely lightning, Haruka is air, Michiru is some variant of water/ice, can't really pinpoint you." Turning to Usagi last he shrugged again, "You can't really place you, but you're chi and whatever magic you're aligned with is massive. It's kinda scary actually. Kinda hope getting you ready for chi exercises might help you out with controlling that."

Rei was now more than a little freaked out and she was sure all the others were too. "What makes you think magic is real?"

"Oh, that's easy, I have a curse." Seeing all of the girls disbelieving looks Ranma held up a finger in the universal sign for wait, and left for the back room. As all of the girls rapid fired questions back and forth, Ranma came back with a glass of water and a thermos. "It took me a while to figure out how the curse worked and what it would take to get it under control, but it's still in effect. Anyway, cold water activates it, hot water turns me back." So saying he upended the glass of water over his head, shrinking and becoming a well formed red head before their very eyes.

"She looks just like Beryl!" Minako pointed an accusing finger first, while everyone else was stuck between astonishment or wanting to run.

"Maybe like, a little sister maybe. To short to be Beryl." Ami mentioned as already her mercury computer was out and scanning.

Haruka was looking between the others and the red headed short stack, "Uh, what is a Beryl and where can I find her if she looks like that." That earned her an elbow to the side from Michiru.

Usagi was already walking around and poking Ranma in various places, who had already resigned himself and was letting her have a go for now. "Not Beryl, no evil magic here. I didn't think curses were really a thing." Looking up at the red head while poking her in the boob and getting a wrist slap in return, Usagi tilted her own head, "Are you sure you're not a girl cursed to turn into a guy?"

Ranma nodded as, having enough, he opened the thermos and changed back into his birth form. "Yup, didn't get the curse until a few years ago. Jusenkyo. Land of 1000 cursed springs. Very tragic tale of animals, creatures, people that drown in the pools and then curse anyone else who fall into the pools to take the form of whatever drowned there." Ranma motioned to himself, "I fell into the spring of drowned girl. So I turn into what I would have looked like if I had been born a girl. Should see my mom, that's where the red hair came from. But my pops? Turns into a panda, and I've got a friend who turns into a pig. And that girl earlier? Turns into a c-c-c-ca-furry demon." Still needing to work on the cat fist, Ranma would get on that soon.

Ami was now next to Usagi scanning away, "Where does the mass go? Where does it come back from. Are you completely a woman or is it just an illusion? So many questions."

Ranma shrugged, "It's magic, I've learned not to question it too hard. But yeah, I got stuck as a girl for an extended period of time, and yeah, everything works as it should." Shuddering as he remembered those particular memories, Ranma's turning point about women being weak was probably around then.

Haruka was already turning to Michiru, "See, best of both worlds, he knows what it's like and he turned into a cute girl too. Can we keep him?" Again getting swatted, Michiru stepped forward,

"We appreciate your openness with us Saotome-san. Could we ask you don't tell anyone else you know that we're demon hunters?" Of course, he wasn't completely correct, but it was close enough.

Ranma nodded, "I figured out after a while that sooner or later people will find out about the curse, and odds were since you were magical that you'd somehow get involved in my life one way or another."

Ami again had questions, "You said you figured out how the curse worked, what did you mean by that?"

Ranma motioned back to the center of the room as he moved to close the shutters and lock the door. Returning and sitting down with everyone else, he leaned back and looked up into a darkening skylight, "Well, when I first got the curse I was an absolute water magnet. The curse always wanted me to change it felt like. Cars splashing puddles on rain-less days, old ladies washing the side walk. I've had pipe burst out of walls and never mind all the collateral damage from fights and…yeah, water always seemed to find me. But after a while, and more recently, I realized after looking at everyone else who was cursed, I can to the thought that maybe the curse was actually trying to help, in some weird way." Seeing all of them waiting on him to continue Ranma sighed again, "I was raised by my pops to be a man among men. Super macho meat head who only thought about the art. And one of the big things pops taught me was that girls were weak. Over and over again he'd tell me that. So what kind of curse would help, persuade me from that kinda of thinking?"

Makoto giggle now, "Turning into a girl yourself would be humbling."

Ranma pointed and nodded, "Ten points to Ma-chan. And I noticed everyone who was cursed was in some way suffering something. My pops was the laziest conman I've ever met, and what are Panda's if not lazy fuzz butts that can do no wrong themselves. My buddy Ryoga is a talented martial artist, but he's got a stubborn streak wider than Tokyo bay. Pig headed that one, so, he turns into a pig. There's another guy who turns into a literal monster, but his personality definitely matches it. If you ever see a minotaur with the wings of a crane an eel tail and a octopus, don't kill em, splash him with some hot water first." Pausing as she shuddered thinking about Pantyhose-Taro, Ranma got back on track, "Point was I figured out, if I started working through my hang ups, maybe the curse would stop dousing me with water so often. And I was right. Now a days I can go a full week without getting soaked."

While all of the girls around him had to admit that Ranma apparently had a lot of stories to tell, he wasn't one to lie. Smiling brightly Usagi raised a hand and nodded, "Well, since you're willing to keep out secret, we'll do that same for yours! We'll cover for you if we ever see you get splashed."

"Sure sure, just call me Ranko if you ever see me out and about as a girl." Ranma looked up as street lights were starting to come on. "But, I think it's time to head home for everyone." Hearing the girls groan and start to move, Ranma had to admit, for once that wasn't so bad. At least until an arm slithered over his shoulders,

"Wellll, any chance you'd think about being a girl full time? I'd love to introduce you to the world of girl love."

Backing away quickly while holding his hands up, Ranma was glad he wasn't about to be on the receiving end of this beat down,

"Haruka!" "Ack!"

-AN

Okay enough set up, gonna take a break for a few days and then the meat of the story is going to begin.