Chapter 15

Ranma looked down the deep, dark hole and wandered how he was going to get to Tsubasa—and even if he wanted to, knowing how ticked off the guy would be. Tsubasa had no idea what he had gotten himself into and Ranma could tell him the troubles such a curse caused.

There was a noise behind him. Something shifted in the wall from behind a bookcase, and suddenly Akane appeared.

Shock and bewilderment struck everyone.

"Akane?" Ranma said, standing up. "B-But…how?"

"Thanks for your concern, Ranma," Akane said disgruntled. "This hidden staircase leads down to the basement. It's an escape route built by the old owner, or so I'm told. Tsubasa kidnapped me from the Control Room, and after leaving Shampoo in the elevator—covering her mouth with some sort of sleeping potion in a cloth—he locked me up in a room in the deepest depths of the mansion, far below even the 'funhouse' gauntlet. I sat there waiting to be rescued. Apparently, I had to do it myself." She cupped her hips and frowned. "What the hell took place here? Why is everyone…half dressed?" She looked at Ranma and Ryoga, nearly nude.

Ranma waved his arms in the air dismissively. "We'll get to that. But how did you escape?"

"Something heavy came crashing down through the ceiling outside the room and then some sort of tail bust down the door when it did," Akane explained. "And there, outside the room, was a giant snake. I was frightened at first, until Tsubasa spoke to me, and told me everything. He told me about this secret staircase. So, there, you're all caught up. What about you?"

"Long story, we'll get to our situation later. But we have good news! We have something to change Tsubasa back to his normal self." But Ranma knew he was going to have to come up with a big lie to explain Ryoga. He just hoped he could between now and then.

"A silver flask with water from the Spring of Drowned Man, right? Tsubasa also told me about it and where to find it. He asked me to retrieve it, so he can drink it. He wants to change back. He's trapped in the basement and he's too heavy to get back up."

Taking the secret staircase back down, and apprehensive about whether or not Tsubasa still had a grudge against him, Ranma found the giant snake what was Tsubasa coiled up in a ball-like shape with what looked like tears coming out from his eyes. Snakes could not cry, but moisture was definitely welling up under his eyes as if they were tears.

"We have the cure, Tsubasa," Ranma said, holding up the silver flask. "Just don't eat me."

Ukyo took it from Ranma. "Tsubasa, drink it, please…I know how much you like me, but doing this…was just plain—" She stopped herself from saying "stupid", "—not the best way."

Tsubasa moved his giant head over to Ukyo and she poured the contained into Tsubasa's large, slithering mouth. And the revision of his body was almost instantaneous. However, because he has shred his clothes when his body changed into the snake, he was naked. But that didn't stop Tsubasa from hugging Ukyo and apologizing profusely. Despite his appearance, she hugged him back, and comforted him. Ukyo had a caring, warming side, when she wasn't beating up opponents with her giant Spatula.

No one else saw it, but out of the corner of his eye, Ranma saw Ryoga licking the inside of the flask with his tongue, hoping to savage some of the water for himself. The guy was a fool. Obviously, Tsubasa had drunk it all. And it would take a lot more than a few drops to end Ryoga's curse—recalling Shampoo's attempt with the "waterproof soap".

Ranma returned his attention back to Ukyo and Tsubasa, they were still hugging. Obviously, something had gotten through. Tsubasa was willing to risk it all for Ukyo. Love had a way of making people do strange things. Maybe there was hope for their relationship yet.

He looked over at Akane for a moment and smiled. Perhaps, someday… he wondered.

Tsubasa leaned back with tears in his eyes, and said, "Please forgive me, Ukyo, and please—everyone—forgive me for everything, especially you Ranma."

Ranma stood up straight. "Think nothing of it, Tsubasa. All ends that ends well and all that junk. But There is one thing that could make things even better." Tsubasa looked at him strangely. Ranma extended a hand. "Forgive and learn from your mistakes." He smiled.

Tsubasa wiped his tears with an arm. "That's very kind of you, Saotome. You know, you're a good guy. You beat me. I concede. I'm sure you and Ukyo will be happy together."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Let's not start that again," he said.

Akane wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Can we get outta here, I'm cold. And I bet the rest of you are, too."

Ryoga had luckily found his clothes that had fallen down the hole with Tsubasa and started to dress. He put his bandana back around his head when he was finished. A blanket was found, as well, and Tsubasa wrapped that around himself, as everyone made their way back to ground level, and then out into the main courtyard, where Kuno and Gosunkugi were waiting.

They were filled in with what happened, except about the parts dealing with any curses. It was best to keep those details to the immediate company.

Almost immediately, Kuno took offence to Ranma's near-naked appearance, and challenged him to a duel. Presenting an argument in his usual manner in quoting something from either an intellectual or who he thought was one, and then pointing his Kendo stick at Ranma.

Ranma sighed heavily, and tried to explain to Kuno—again—the circumstances of his lack of clothes.

But Kuno would have nothing of it in front of Akane, believing it was shameful. "En-garde! Despite you having many fiancées, you dress like a scamp!"

Kuno lifted the kendo stick above his head and went in for a strike, but Ranma flipped back easily to avoid it. Kuno thrust the weapon rapidly as Ranma flipped back again-and-again. He actually felt a lot more free without the restriction of clothes. He twisted to the right, rolled, and then delivered a side-kick to Kuno, disarming him—all within seconds.

The kendo stick flipped like a spinning wheel in the air, whereas Tsubasa caught it when it came down, almost hitting Ukyo. Unfortunately, his actions did not favour him, revealing his nudity beneath the blanket that dropped.

Ukyo's face went beet red and flushed. She quickly averted her eyes. But then snickered.

Down in the basement, the lighting was much too dark to see much of anything, but now—she saw everything.

Tsubasa looked down and saw that he was baring it all to her. And it was a little chilly outside. His entire body went red with embarrassment and he quickly grabbed the blanket to wrap himself up. He grit his teeth at Ranma in anger.

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Oops," he said, with a chuckle.

Tsubasa pointed the kendo stick at Ranma. "You'll pay for this, Saotome! Mark my words!"

And suddenly, Tsubasa bolted down the street, and suddenly tripped over the blanket, and exposed his bare butt to everyone, cursing Ranma's name—the blanket left behind in haste.

Kuno ran after him, demanding Tsubasa return his kendo stick.

Gosunkugi slipped away after saying a quick good-bye.

That only left the immediate company.

"Does this mean Tsubasa and you are not friends anymore, Ranma?" Akane said.

Ranma lifted his shoulders. "Dunno, sounds like it," he said. "But I don't think this will be the last time we see him. I consider our rivalry on hold until to our next encounter, whenever that will be. And with friends like him, who needs enemies."

They walked down the winding road back to home.

For a brief, fleeting moment, Ranma saw a look of pity in Ukyo's eyes. Was it for Tsubasa? She had known the guy since they were in middle school, but had Tsubasa struck some sort of cord in her with this stunt?

Only time will tell.

END