Chapter 14

At first Ranma wasn't sure what he had had heard, but after a moment in frozen revelation, he then said, "You have another flask with a cure? Really? Come on, man! Share it!"

The snake that used to be Tsubasa laughed. "There is only enough for one. And it's all mine! You'll never find it." His serpent tongue spit out. "Unless, you want to make a trade?"

Ranma's eyes narrowed. "What sort of trade?"

"The water for Ukyo, of courssse! I can get more, now that I'm wealthy."

Ranma clenched his fists at his side, insulted. "You may have money, Tsubasa, but you'll never be rich. There is something r in this world that money can't buy and that are friends. I won't be bribed and I won't give up a friend. I'll find another way to get rid of this curse. I won't trade Ukyo, she is my friend. And friends stick together, through good and bad times!"

From this speech, Ranma found both Shampoo and P-Chan came out from behind him, and stood side-by-side with him. Despite the evident danger, they were ready to battle with him. But this show of heroics appeared to anger Tsubasa and he lashed out and whipped his tail around and it crashed through a wall, inches from Ranma's face.

Inadvertently the attack burst a water pipe in the wall and a torrent of water saturated the company with warm water. The result, reverted Shampoo and Ryoga's curses, and they changed back to their human selves. However, when Tsubasa was splashed, he did not change back. And Ranma wondered why. Was it because Tsubasa drank the water that gave him his curse pure instead of falling into a spring? It shouldn't make a difference, but something about it was bizarre. Curses had different affects on a user. Ranma knew this for a fact. But everyone who had a curse, warmer water changed them back. Was was different here?

"Good to have you back, guys," Ranma said to Shampoo and Ryoga. "But maybe it was better that you didn't change back. Makes you less of a target."

"Maybe we can be of use?" Shampoo said.

"How are we going to beat Tsubasa?" Ryoga added.

Ranma shook his head. "Not sure, but you heard what he said…Tsubasa has a flask sum'where with the Spring of Drowned Man. Notice he didn't change when splashed with warm water?"

"Snakes cold blooded," Shampoo said. "Scales help keep water out. So, obviously, must drink cure. Normal change not work on Tsubasa. Must find that water!"

Ranma sighed. He needed to spend more attention in school. Shampoo was right.

"Water most likely behind door, and Tsubasa guarding it," Shampoo said. "Must get past Tsubasa to get water, and save Ukyo and Akane, too."

"I want that water!" Ryoga shouted. "Tsubasa drank that cursed water knowing what would happen, he knew the risks. Anyone that stupid deserves what he gets! I'll get past this overgrown beast even if I have to destroy everything around him!"

Ranma held Ryoga back. "Knowing you, you'll get us killed in the process. Any of your special techniques here, will bring the place down. We have to think of a better way."

"Ranma right, stupid boy!"

It was at this point, strange creaking sounds were heard. Something from the last attack had destabilized the surrounding structure, and with the unwavering groan of too much weight, suddenly, the floor beneath Tsubasa collapsed, and sent him tumbling through a gapping hole. And crash after crash, Tsubasa burst through every subsequent floor, until he was no longer seen—darkness filled the void of the hole Ranma now looked down.

"Wow, tough break," Ranma said. "I still don't get some aspect of these curses. His mass increased exponentially causing the floor to break underneath'im, but Tsubasa could not have weighed that much…" He rubbed his head. "It boggles the mind."

"You ever weigh yourself after you change, Saotome? You have a larger mass as a male, but I bet those breasts you produce when a girl weigh a fair amount. The curse each of us has has no full explanation. I weight more as a human than as a pig."

Ranma looked at Ryoga strangely, but with certain amount of understanding. "You know Ryoga, I may have underestimated you—you can be pretty smart sometimes."

"I may not go to school, but that doesn't mean I don't read."

There was now a gigantic hole covering the distance between them and the door they needed to get through and there was no where to land if they jumped across.

"Too, too lucky for us," Shampoo commented. "But bigger they are, harder they fall."

"Tsubasa must have fallen all the way to the basement," Ranma said, standing up, cupping his hips. It was now he noticed Shampoo was completely naked. It wasn't anything surprising for him to see a naked girl, he had seen himself plenty of times, but suddenly he blushed. He turned away. Shampoo asked what came next, and Ranma said, "I have a plan, but we need to act before Tsubasa can make his way back up here. Ryoga, we're goin' need your—" Ryoga was no where to be seen. "Ryoga?" Ranma looked around. "Where'ya go, man?"

Ryoga peaked his head out from a part of the broken wall. His face red and flushed.

"Ryoga, what the hell, man? Why're you hidin'? Get over'ere, I need yer help!"

Ryoga shook his head. "I have no clothes. My clothes fell down the hole with Tsubasa, and…"

Obviously Shampoo's nakedness disturbed Ryoga or his own nakedness in front of Shampoo embarrassed him so much that he had to hide to protect his own dignity.

"Cover up, Shampoo…"

"Be a man, you wimp!" Ranma chided him.

"Yes, Shampoo not bothered by Ranma seeing her this way, for wife and husband is normal," she said, coming to press herself against Ranma's back, rubbing her breasts against him.

Ranma began to blush. "C-cut it out, Shampoo," he said.

Ryoga clenched his teeth. "Two-timer! If the situation was different, I'd…"

Ranma shut his eyes for a moment and thought of a solution. He removed his shirt and pants, and gave them to Shampoo. He told her to put them on. With a sorrowful sigh, she relented, and once she said she was dressed, Ranma opened his eyes. The pants were baggy on her, and the white tank top was tight. Shampoo was much more buxom than he was when a girl. But at least she was clothed. Now he was down to his boxers. He turned back to Ryoga. "Satisfied?"

Ryoga shook his head. "I have nothing to wear, I can't go out there!"

"I have nothing else! And I aint givin' ya my boxers!" Shampoo pressed up against Ranma again, startling Ranma. "Shampoo not averse to husband with no clothes on."

"Shampoo, I aint yer husband," he said.

"Amazon law says soon. Forget about shy little boy, let him hide. Get cure, be full man, then marry Shampoo. Then clothes come off for both."

Ranma sighed heavily.

Ryoga took his bandana from around his head and gripped it tightly, obviously about to throw it like some sort of weapon. He had used it once before during a fight with Ranma.

Ranma said, "Stop!" It was a command that could either be addressed to Shampoo or Ryoga. Both ceased their actions. Then he said to Ryoga, "Your bandana, man! You fold it and wrap it around you head, right? So use it until sumthin' better comes along, like some sorta lion cloth."

Ryoga looked at it. He obviously had never thought of his bandana to be used as something like that. It was obviously large enough. Moments passed, as he fixed it around his midsection, fitting it tightly, still hiding. It covered him nicely. Of course, it was still embarrassing. But he stepped out into the open. With a nervous smile, he was pleased with it.

"Silly Ryoga," Shampoo began. "You may look like Tarzan of jungle, but Ranma is my man. Not interested in small you. Only Ranma want. Who cares if see you naked." She flicked her hair as if in rejection. "Would be like seeing baby carrot in supermarket full of larger produce."

Ranma tried to hide a snicker.

Ryoga thrust out his chest. "Just so you know, I'm more man than Ranma! I've seen the 'produce'," winking, playing to the metaphor. "And I'm more of a turnip."

Ranma sneered. Then he crossed his arms. He didn't know how to continue to metaphor, so he said, but smiling, "Ha! You're so shy, Ryoga, that the 'baby bird' will never leave the nest. Akane likes a stronger guy. And your 'produce' is more like a wet noodle."

This got Ryoga's goad, and with a battle cry shout, he stormed towards Ranma.

Ranma readied himself, and when his rival got within striking distance, Ranma began to tilt back, grabbed Ryoga by the shoulders, and then sent him soaring over the hole.

Ryoga screamed as he was thrown, but then instinct obviously took over, and he thrust out a finger, and used his Breaking Point technique, to broke through the wooden door, crashing through into the room beyond.

Ranma smirked. "The guy is so gullible. And he makes the perfect battling ram."

Shampoo thrust herself against Ranma again, wrapping her arms around him. "Ranma, big strong man, will make great husband and father-figure for Amazon babies."

"Amazon babies?" Ranma wrangled himself out from her grip. The thought of what Shampoo suggested actually made him shiver. And the idea of passing on this curse he had to any children he may have in the future was enough for him to stop any such relationship. "This curse has to go before any of that." The humiliation was beyond any comprehension.

He leapt over into the room. Shampoo followed in tow.

But after they landed, they were met with a ghastly sight.

Ryoga had landed oddly after crashing through the door and was on the bed Ukyo was chained to, with his butt in the air towards Ukyo and the back flap of his bandana had fallen open.

"Ow, that hurt, Ranma!" Ryoga said, unaware of his situation.

"This wasn't the full moon I was hoping to see tonight," Ukyo said sarcastically. Ryoga yelped was Ukyo kicked him off the bed. "Ranma, honey. I'm glad you're here to rescue me, but—why is everyone half-naked? And why is Shampoo wearing your clothes?"

"Long story," Ranma explained vaguely.

Ryoga peaked up from the side of the bed, his face blushing. "Sorry about that, Ukyo."

"It's alright, sugar," Ukyo said. "Nice tushee, by the way," she added, as if to ease the situation, even if it was an off-handed remark.

Ryoga averted his gaze, his face turning even more red.

Ranma smiled to himself. He suspected there was something more between these two then they were leading on. He let it pass for now.

Ranma released her, quickly explaining everything that had gone down.

It was then he noticed Akane was no where to be seen. The room was filled with stuff animals of every sort and was circular in nature. It looked newer than the rest of the mansion. Tsubasa must have built it for the the sole purpose of locking Ukyo up after he kidnapped her. Indeed, it was a "Princess" Room.

"Where's Akane?" Ranma said.

"I don't know," Ukyo said honestly. "Tsubasa must have stashed her in somewhere else."

Ranma sighed. "Oh, great! I hope he doesn't have another gauntlet for me to run through." And then Ranma told Ukyo what he had been holding back. What Tsubasa had done to himself just before they burst into this room to rescue her.

"He…what?" Ukyo said beyond shocked. "Why? Why would Tsubasa do such a thing to himself? What a jackass! We have to go after him and make him swallow that cure!"

Ukyo tried to bolt out of the room, but Ranma stopped her—and stopped her from falling down the large hole just outside the door. Ranma gripped Ukyo tight.

"We'll fine him, Ukyo…trust me," he said assuringly. "He did a stupid thing, Ukyo. "He's a lovesick fool. But no one should this far to…"

Ukyo pushed Ranma away and tears began to fall from her cheeks.

Ranma shut his mouth. Tsubasa was completely in love with Ukyo and when a person was in love, they did stupid things.

"Believe me, Ukyo…I'll personally make Tsubasa drink that cure," Ranma said determinately. "Even if I have to jump down his throat and pour it into his stomach!"

"Okay, let's find that cure!" Ukyo said with vigour. "Any idea where it is?"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Tsubasa never said," he said. "But I bet it's in this room."

Without worrying about making a mess, each of them literally ransacked the room—throwing things to the floor. The place was a former of what it was, but behind some small stuffed animals on a shelf, they found a silver flask. It was actually labeled.

Ryoga suddenly grabbed it. "It's mine!"

Ranma was quicker and tossed the flask to Ukyo. Ryoga leapt through emptiness and missing his target, he rolled and tumbled into the hole outside the door.

Ranma leapt for him. "Ryoga!"

Luckily, Ryoga had managed to find a grip, and was not dangling over the deep pit.

"You idiot! Take my hand," he said, extending out his arm.

"I want a cure to this curse so bad!" Ryoga's eyes filled with tears.

"So, do I, man. But this aint the time to get greedy. There are bigger things to think about. You wanna lose your life over something as stupid as this?" Ranma hauled Ryoga up. "You coulda fallen down this hole and broke your neck!"

Ryoga sat up and began to cry. "I'm sorry," he said, blubbering. "I'm sorry, Ukyo."

"I understand, sugar," Ukyo said. "But Tsubasa really needs our help. At least you can change back with warm water, he can't. Tsubasa may be an idiot, but he doesn't deserve to be like that for the rest of his life. Now, can we all agree that this cure belongs to Tsubasa?"

Everyone nodded. Ryoga also agreed, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Okay, let's go help Tsubasa," Ukyo said.

To be continued…