Chapter 5

Ryoga considered spying was on the same level of betrayal. People deserved their privacy. But after the discussion over dinner at the Tendo Dojo last night, for which he stayed the night, he was out bright and early to spy for Ranma.

He didn't know what sort of intelligence he was going to gather, but even a small bit would probably help. From what he learned of Tsubasa Kurenai and his association with Ukyo, he was both a curious and dangerous person.

And Ryoga already had his target in his sights.

Tsubasa Kurenai arrived at Furinkan High School just as the sun was rising and was allowed inside the main gates by another student in a uniform, a tall woman. Ryoga hid in the shadows of the school and followed him.

He found it ironic that he was a following a stalker, while he, himself, was acting like one. Still, sometimes you had to act think like your target to catch them in a compromising position, and Ranma suspected that he may need someone on the outside, someone Tsubasa Kurenai may not know, snooping around.

And, of course, he was also doing this for Ukyo.

In the past, Tsubasa Kurenai used to stalk and jump out in surprise at Ukyo, expressing his undying love for her at the most unexpected moment, this time Tsubasa Kurenai was out in the open, with a new look. Tsubasa Kurenai normally wore different clothes and had longer hair from what Ranma described.

Ryoga crept around a corner of the main building as Tsubasa Kurenai walked down a sidewalk to the track. Ryoga stealthy tiptoed after him and followed him to what looked like an equipment shed. Tsubasa Kurenai opened it, and after a small bit of conversion with someone inside, he walked fully in.

Ryoga quickly made his way over. He pressed an ear against the side of the shed, hearing muffled sounds.

Just then, Tsubasa Kurenai emerged from the shed with Tatewaki Kuno, the Head Master's son, in tow, and they went around the other side of the shed. This time, he heard their conversion with someone else. He looked around the shed, but all he saw were the two of them as they conversed with someone out of sight.

Tsubasa Kurenai left the view for a moment and a possible physical confrontation was heard.

Ryoga listened. It was someone named Gosunkugi the pair was interacting with. He only heard bits of the conversion, but he did overhear something about "Black Magic".

Gosunkugi was then dragged into the shed and the door was shut, and further conversion ensued. Ryoga could hear their elevated voices through the door as he pressed an ear against it.

There was a threat against Ranma. Tsubasa Kurenai wanted Gosunkugi to make a voodoo doll of Ranma. Ryoga wasn't familiar with "Black Magic", but he knew the concept wasn't good. There was a reason why it was called "Black Magic", as opposed to just magic, because it was forbidden. Tsubasa Kurenai would need something of Ranma's to make the ritual Gosunkugi said he could perform to make the doll work, a doll filled with magic to hurt Ranma.

He had to tell Ranma.

"Hey you, what are you doing there?" came a sudden voice.

Ryoga looked and saw the same tall woman who let Tsubasa in through the main gates. She was strikingly beautiful in Ryoga's eyes this close up, sophisticated and intelligent, wearing a pair of rectangular eye-glasses.

Ryoga stood, as the door to the shed burst open. Unfortunately, he was standing next to it and it bashed him in the face, unsuspectedly.

He blacked out for a moment.

The next thing he knew he was inside the shed.

Blinking his eyes, he tried to focus through the flicking dancing candlelight that was the only thing that illuminated the interior. He was tied up and gagged. Standing over him was not only Tsubasa Kurenai and Kuno, but the tall woman. And Gosunkugi was standing off to the side, looking concerned.

He looked at Tsubasa Kurenai and tried to mumble, "What is the meaning of this?" His hands were bound behind him with his legs, arching his back. He lay on his side.

Tsubasa Kurenai leaned over. "So, Ranma's friend is playing spy." He laughed. "I heard you are Ranma's rival. Ryoga Hibiki, the lost boy, they call you, because your lousy sense of direction." He laughed again.

Ryoga grit against the gag which was his own bandana.

Tsubasa Kurenai stood straight. "Well, allow me to introduce you to my own spy, you could even call her a double agent," he said, and gestured to the tall woman. "Meet my cousin, the Student Council President, Nishi Kinomiya. And she has agreed to help me meet my ultimate goal. You're also going to help me."

Ryoga shook his head. He had no intention of participating in Tsubasa Kurenai's scheme.

Tsubasa snapped his fingers on one hand. "Everybody out," Tsubasa ordered. "I want to speak with him alone."

Kuno hesitated, as if he was insulted to be ordered out, but he left with the others, gripping Gosunkugi's collar. Ryoga wondered if Gosunkugi was here under distress by the way he was treated. The door closed.

Ryoga watched them leave, then looked back to Tsubasa Kurenai.

Once he was alone with Tsubasa in the shed, Tsubasa took one last glance at the door, turned back, then crouched down in front of Ryoga. Ryoga kept trying to wiggle out of his binds, but to no avail.

"I know your secret," Tsubasa said softly. Ryoga's eyes widened. "I know all about the Jusenkyo curse, how it changes you." Ryoga groaned. "When I battled Ranma in our last encounter, I wasn't sure at first, it seemed too remarkable, but then I spoke to this weird Chinese tour guide who was visiting Japan and he told me, with a few yen thrown his way, all about an intriguing valley, where a legendary training ground resides in the Qinghai Province, in the Bayankala Mountain range of China. I even visited the place. There are quite a lot of springs, each one with their own terrible curse." He waved a hand. "But no, I didn't fall in one. I was careful."

Ryoga's nose crinkled up as he frowned sourly.

"But," Tsubasa reached into his right pocket and brought out a small vial of water, showing Ryoga, and Ryoga looked at it curiously, "I brought some back with me. It's water from 'The Spring of The Drowned Man', or so I'm told."

Ryoga's eyes widened. "Ranma is cursed with a female body whenever he's splashed with cold water. Hot water changes him back. I have a list of those who have recently visited the springs and your name was on the ledger, too. It's curious how ancient curses work. Whoever falls into a spring, they take the body of what died there last."

Tsubasa stood up and looked over his shoulder. He looked at a kettle Kuno had over a cooled off bunsen burner. Tsubasa took it and brought it over. Ryoga pushed back.

He looked up at Tsubasa and shook his head, and tried to say, "Please, I don't want to change here!"

Tsubasa held the kettle over Ryoga's head brandishing a sinister smile. "Cold water will change you, Ryoga Hiibiki. But I have secret to tell you. With this spring water, and only mixed with hot water—the curse supposedly ends."

Ryoga's eyes widened.

"You didn't know that, did you?"

Ryoga shook his head.

"You can't just jump into a spring and hope it nullifies the curse, there is a certain 'magic' that must be performed first. You need to boil the water with the spring water you gather, and then pour it over yourself. Call it magic, or a cure. But each of them can be beaten. And if you want this cure, you're going to help me beat Ranma."

Ryoga breathed out. He wondered if Tsubasa was telling him the truth or trying to convince him of a lie. He had been tricked with "surefire" cures in the past.

Tsubasa purposely tipped the kettle over and a few drops of cold water dripped out, forcing Ryoga to arch back. Tsubasa smirked devilishly.

All of sudden, Tsubasa stumbled backwards, holding his head. He dropped the kettle and the water spilled out, but not near Ryoga. Rouga watched as Tsubasa cringed in awful pain. Tsubasa bit down on his lower lip and seemed to stagger about aimlessly. Ryoga had no idea what was happening.

"It hurts, don't do it daddy! It hurts!" Tsubasa said through clenched teeth. "Not the water!"

Nishi Kinomiya suddenly burst in and ran to Tsubasa's side and wrapped her arms around him. "Tsubasa!"

"It hurts! It hurts! Make it stop!" Tsubasa grabbed his head. "Stop the water, please!"

Something about the dripping water caused Tsubasa to become unraveled, Ryoga surmised.

"What's wrong with him?" Kuno asked from the doorway.

"It's okay, Tsubasa…" Nishi said, "you're safe now."

A few moments passed, then suddenly Tsubasa pushed her away. He breathed out heavy, sweat drenched his face.

"Don't ask such impertinent questions, Kuno," he said pointedly, as he straightened and composed himself. He brushed his hair back, flicking moisture off his hand.

Ryoga thought Tsubasa looked annoyed, almost embarrassed.

"Foolishness," Tsubasa muttered to himself. He kicked the kettle. "I'm going to watch up. Finish up here, Nishi."

Tsubasa went to leave, putting the small vial of spring water in his pants pocket, Ryoga witnessed.

"What should I do with Ryoga Hibiki?" Nishi asked, picking up the kettle and placing it up right on the bunsen burner.

Tsubasa looked back at Ryoga. Ryoga eyed him.

Ranma was right, Tsubasa was dangerous. And he knew about the Jusenkyo curse.

"He's no threat here, leave him for now," Tsubasa said, straightening his shirt of winkles. "I'll deal with him later. I must prepare for my tour of the school with Ranma Saotome."

And with that, Tsubasa exited the shed.

Somehow, some way, Ryoga knew, he had to warn Ranma of Tsubasa's threat.

Tsubasa left the shed and found an outside wash sink basin.

After washing his face and calming his nerves of what just transpired, he grabbed the edge. He shut his eyes and tried to focus, he felt a pounding in his head that wasn't a headache, but it was a pounding, nonetheless.

The image of Ryoga Hibiki tied up and the water dripping from the kettle triggered a horrible memory. It was an old Chinese torture called the Water Torture. Water dripped onto a person's head constantly and it eventually drove them insane, or to the point of pleasing their torturer.

His father slapped him hard across the face with the back of his hand and Tsubasa recoiled. "You pathetic, excuse of a child! You are a complete embarrassment wearing those girl clothes with that long hair! Act like a man!"

Tsubasa looked back, fear in his eyes. He held his face, with his legs underneath him almost feminine, trembling on the floor. The staunch, massiveness of his father, towered over him. His face darkened by a light behind him. He had brought Tsubasa down to the basement of their old house where he proceeded to beat him. His father was a harsh, proud man, and hated Tsubasa dressing up in girl clothes.

But his father didn't understand, and his father only saw what he wanted to see.

For days on end, his father would strike him. His father threatened him daily.

And Tsubasa was tied up in a chair and water dripped onto his head, keeping him awake for days—the drip, drip, drip of the water on the top of his head felt like a constant pounding.

And eventually, over a series of weeks, Tsubasa yielded to do his father's bidding. And he began to act like his father wanted him to, dressing properly, and he even cut his hair to a proper boy's length.

He knew his father was right. Ukyo would never like him if he continued to act like a girl. And he became strong.

But right now, he felt weak—as those memories of those constant beatings and torture by his father came back to haunt him. He shook his head to will them away. He straightened and then gave himself a hard slap to the face. Only then did he feel better, his strength of will was returning. He turned and saw Nishi had followed him.

She had a sympathetic look on her face, she knew what Tsubasa's father had done. "Tsubasa…"

But Tsubasa eyed her weakness with disdain.

"Shut up," he told her. "And don't you dare say a word."

To be continued...