Chapter 4: When He Was Ambushed
Despite Ranma storming out of the Tendo Dojo on somewhat bad terms, it didn't take all that long for his anger to subside. After walking roughly eight blocks with no particular goal in mind, he finally managed to regain his focus and began planning his next move.
"Okay, let's try to think this through." he said out loud. "I thought that I was going to have a bit more freedom, but obviously I was wrong. Even so, that's no reason to give up trying to find a way out of this. All I need to do is return to normal, and everything can go back to the way it was before."
Ranma's head suddenly sank just a bit when he remembered the gravity of his situation.
"The only question is…how am I going to do it?" he continued. "The mushroom samples that we had were all destroyed. I suppose that I could always go looking for more of them, but I have no idea where they are. That dream I had certainly didn't give me any answers. Even if Ryoga was willing to try and lead me back to where he found them, we'd likely end up anywhere but the correct location. I also can't count on it being close by enough to do a general search. I mean, the amount of distance that he can cover on foot in the span of a few days is absolutely inhuman. Those mushrooms could very well be on the other side of the world for all I know."
Ranma placed his hand on his chin and began to probe his brain for answers.
"At this point, it seems like my best course of action would be to find someone else who might know more about the mushrooms, such as where to find them and if there's some other way to reverse their effects." he continued. "But who to go to, I wonder?"
Ranma leaded against a nearby lamppost to gather his thoughts together.
"My first instinct is to go to Dr. Tofu, even though I know that such an option is probably very unrealistic at this point." he said. "Before his disappeared, he was always extremely useful when it came to helping Akane and I through our various medical troubles. He didn't understand everything, but his vast collection of ancient medical books and supplies was practically unmatched. If anyone in this town could've found a cure hidden away somewhere, it would've been him. Damn it, why did he have to move away without telling anyone where he was going?"
As Ranma said that last sentence, he unconsciously slammed his fist against the side of the post. Unfortunately, he had once again forgotten how fragile his new body was and winced in pain afterwards. Although he felt very upset at his own stupidity at that moment, the sudden pain caused an idea to pop into his head.
"Wait a minute." he continued. "Dr. Tofu may have not told us where he was going or why he left, but that was probably because he didn't want to risk hurting Kasumi's feelings or something like that. I never personally checked out his clinic after he left. Maybe he left behind some clue as to where he moved to. And even if there's nothing there, he had other patients. If I ask around, maybe one of them will know something about where he is. It may be a long shot, but it's not like I have too many options at this point."
Ranma's danger sense abruptly activated and he instinctively ducked. In doing so, he narrowly missed a powerful kick which shattered the concrete pillar holding up the lamppost. Without anything to support it, the lamppost quickly fell to the ground. It nearly landed on top of Ranma, but he was able to jump out of its path and avoid certain death.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" he asked.
Ranma froze in shock when he saw who it was that had launched the kick. On the other side of the street was Ryoga, who had a look of absolute fury on his face.
"Ryoga?" Ranma asked.
"I got you now, Ranma." Ryoga answered. "This is the day that I finally end you once and for all."
Ranma felt his own anger levels rising.
"Geez, are you still going on about that?" he asked. "Can't you just let this go already? We already fought and I already beat you. Our bout is settled."
"This isn't about me." Ryoga answered. "This is about what Akane wants."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ranma asked.
"You made her upset, and that's absolutely unforgivable in my eyes." Ryoga answered. "Fortunately, it seems that I've been given an easy way to make her happy again."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ranma asked.
Ryoga chuckled in a very sinister way that made Ranma feel uneasy.
"I was only just beginning to wake up, but if I recall her yelling that she actually wished you dead." Ryoga answered.
Ranma's blood froze at those words.
"Akane did say that, but that was just her anger talking." he thought. "We were both a bit irrational in that exact moment, but does Ryoga actually think that she was being serious?"
Ryoga lowered himself into a battle stance with a smirk etched across his face.
"The fact is that Akane will be happy to see you out of her life for good." he said. "I've wanted to see you dead for as long as I can remember, but I was eagerly waiting for the day when Akane would actually admit it as well. Now that this day has come, I no longer need to hold back. When they find your bloody corpse, I'm sure that most people will just chalk it up to a terrible car accident or something. After all, young kids like yourself are put in dangerous situations all the time. Once you're out of the way, Akane will be all mine and we can live happily together forever and ever."
"Do you ever listen to anything that comes out of your mouth?" Ranma asked angrily. "You say that I have problems, well you're one to talk. All that time that you've spent without any real human contact has clearly left you unable to discern when people aren't being serious about what they're saying. Akane always says a bunch of things without thinking whenever she's angry, and so do I. All of us do, it's what makes us human."
Ryoga's temper began to flare up again.
"Well I don't." he said. "I always mean everything I say and do, and right now I mean to take you out once and for all. However, in the spirit of fair play given your new stature and the fact that this will be our last ever fight, I'll let you throw the first punch. So come at me, Ranma. At least this way, you'll be able to die with honor."
Ranma instinctively sunk into his usual battle stance.
"Well, I guess that I have no choice then." he said.
All of a sudden, a small piece of the concrete pillar that had remained attached to the main structure broke off and fell to the ground. Ranma jumped a bit when it happened, but it also made him fully aware of the consequences of what he had just agreed to.
"Oh no, I actually just agreed to fight Ryoga again." he thought. "I may have won our last battle, but that was only by the skin of my teeth. On top of that, he almost killed me with a single attack last time."
Ranma glanced at the shattered pillar as well as the lamppost which was now splayed across the road.
"He managed to obliterate solid concrete with that one kick and didn't even bat an eye while doing so. If he managed to do that to me, every bone in my body would be shattered. Damn this younger form. If I go through with the fight, I really am going to die this time. I have to find some way to get out of this, but I know that Ryoga isn't just going to let me off the hook. If I could lose him then maybe I'd be okay, but first I need to put some distance between us."
"What's wrong, Ranma?" Ryoga asked. "I'm giving you a free hit. Or would you rather that I just finish you off here and now?"
"No no, I'm coming already." Ranma said.
Ranma took a step towards Ryoga before looking directly past him.
"Hey, what's that over there?" Ranma asked while pointing past Ryoga.
"Huh?" Ryoga asked in confusion.
Ryoga turned around to look at whatever it was that Ranma was trying to warn him about. He quickly noticed that there was nothing behind him but empty streets and frowned.
"I don't get it, what did you want me to…Hey." he called out.
By the time that Ryoga had turned around, Ranma had already taken off running down the street. He quickly rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. Ryoga's anger levels began to flare again and he began to chase after him.
"Ranma, you coward." he yelled. "How dare you trick me like that. Once I catch up to you, you're dead."
Ryoga rounded the corner and began to sprint towards Ranma at top speed. Even though he had a poor sense of direction, Ryoga could always get to his destination if he had a clear view of it directly in front of him. With his anger levels searing, Ryoga felt like a bull galloping after a red flag, with the flag being Ranma. At this point, nothing else mattered to him except ensuring that Ranma died for his crimes, and nothing whatsoever would deter him.
Although Ranma had gotten quite a head start in this little race, Ryoga was closing the gap between them fast. His longer legs and greater athleticism meant that he could outpace the six year old with very little effort. Since he was giving it his all, it meant that this wasn't exactly a race by any means. Ranma did his best to shake Ryoga by quickly turning down several random streets, but this only acted as a momentary deterrace for Ryoga who quickly regained his ground and kept on going. Ranma knew that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for very much longer.
"This isn't good." he thought. "Ryoga's going to catch up to me any second now. On top of that, I'm starting to get tired. Pretty soon, he won't need to put any effort into trying to catch up to me. If I can't get away from him, I'm done for. But what can I possibly do?"
Out of desperation, Ranma rounded another corner unexpectedly. Ryoga was once again caught off guard by this and overshot the path, but quickly halted his movement for a second before rushing down the path. Ramna sprinted with all of his might down the street until he suddenly felt what appeared to be some kind of rope wrap around his torso.
"Huh?" he asked.
Ranma cried out in confusion as the rope suddenly yanked him through an opening in one of the nearby fences. A figure whose details he couldn't quite make out cradled Ranma in its arms.
"Hey, what are you…?" Ranma asked.
Ranma's question was interrupted when the figure pushed a long-manicured hand over his mouth.
"Shhhh." it said with a whisper.
The figure slowly glanced out of the hole in the fence, and Ranma craned his neck in an attempt to do the same. Ryoga immediately passed right by the hole without giving it a second glance. This caused Ranma and the figure to sigh in relief.
When Ryoga made it to a nearby intersection, he realized that he had no idea which direction Ranma had run off in. He began to look around in a desperate attempt to find his way and ultimately took off down one of the streets at random. When he came to another intersection, he stopped as he realized that Ranma had managed to get away from him. He gritted his teeth in frustration upon realizing that he had been denied his vengeance once again.
"Damn you, Ranma." he said. "How in the world did I manage to lose you? Oh well, I suppose that it doesn't really matter. In the end, you're still a child, and Akane still wants you dead."
Ryoga looked up at the sky.
"Are you listening, you coward?" he cried out. "You'd better hope that you don't run into me again or else I'll be sure to finish what we started."
Ryoga looked back down, took a deep breath, and smiled as he gripped the shoulder straps of his bag.
"And with that out of the way, I think that it's about time that I find my way back to Akane." he said. She needs a real man to be there for her in her time of need, and with Ranma out of the way I'll have no problem filling that void. Tendo Dojo, here I come."
Ryoga took a single step when he realized that he had no idea where he was, or which way he was supposed to go. In his efforts to grab Ranma, he had managed to become lost once again, though his poor sense of direction would've likely caused that to happen in any event.
"Damn it, every single time when I start to become happy." he snarled. "Curse you, Ranma. This is all your fault."
Ryoga immediately closed his eyes and began running down the street. His grief was so high that he completely neglected his surroundings and ended up running right out of Nerima and into the surrounding mountains. He likely wouldn't find his way back for at least a few weeks.
"That's good." the figure said. "Now we're finally all alone."
Ranma became confused over the fact that the voice coming from the figure was female. The figure pushed their way through what looked like a wall into a large courtyard of some kind. The figure then placed Ranma on the ground, and Ranma was finally able to get a clear look at his mysterious savior. His blood ran cold though when he saw who it was.
"Ranma darling, it really is you isn't it?" Kodachi asked.
"Um, yeah." Ranma answered with a hint of unease in his voice.
Kodachi suddenly pulled Ranma into a tight hug, though not nearly as strong as the one that Akane had given him earlier.
"Oh, how tragic that such a thing could befall you my love." Kodachi said. "Well don't worry, your suffering is all over now."
Trying to worry about this situation was the least of Ranma's worries right now. Kodachi was wearing her signature green leotard which left her somewhat above-average chest on full display. Because of the way that he was being hugged by her, Ranma was suffocating by being shoved directly into her bosom. He squirmed for a few seconds until Kodchi realized her mistake and let him go. He gasped for air for a few seconds afterwards.
"Forgive me, my darling." Kodachi said. "I was so beside myself with happiness that I neglected to take your new, smaller size into account. At least it was but a simple task to get you away from that beast which meant to do you harm."
In confusion, Ranma looked down and noticed that Kodachi had her gymnastics ribbon attached to her waist.
"You know, it did feel like someone wrapped something around me to pull me in here." Ranma said. "That was you, Kodachi?"
"That's right." Kodachi said cheerfully. "Up until now, my skills in Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics have been used solely as tools of war and defense against those who I consider my enemies. Who would've thought the day would come where I'd be using them as a means of saving my one true love from certain death."
Ranma''s mouth dropped open in shock and he shivered a bit upon seeing the ribbon.
"So that's why it felt so familiar." he thought. "I never would have predicted that becoming this age would turn me into another one of her tools to whip around with that ribbon."
Ranma suddenly blinked his eyes and confusion and backed up slightly.
"Wait, hold on a minute. How do you even know about me being like this?" asked. "I don't recall running into you when all of this madness started a few days ago. And on top of that, how'd you even know where to find me? I find it a bit strange that you would be waiting on the other side of the fence for me to pass by."
"Well onto that last point of yours, why wouldn't I be waiting here?" Kodachi answered. "After all, this is my family's estate."
Ranma looked around to verify what Kodachi had said and saw that her words were indeed correct. He was on the Kuno Estate. In his efforts to evade Ryoga, he really hadn't paid any attention to where he was actually going. He must've passed right by the estate without even realizing it.
Kodachi suddenly got on her knees and bowed on the ground towards Ranma, much to his confusion.
"But what you said before that is certainly true, my love." she said. "And I do apologize for that."
Kodachi sat back up while remaining on her knees so she could look at the same eye level as Ranma.
"What you don't know is that I did see you during those tragic events not a few days ago." she continued. We never met face to face, but I was there the moment that you were hugged by Uko Kuonji.
"You were?" Ranma asked.
Kodachi nodded her head in agreement.
"Indeed." she answered. "Imagine my shock to hear the rumors that my beloved has been magically transformed from the dashing knight that he's always been into a six year old child. I just didn't know what to make of it. Such happenings are meant to belong only in fairy tales. Until I saw it for myself, I never would've believed that such a thing was possible, and yet here you are. I didn't know how to process it at the time, so I hid behind a nearby telephone pole to observe you from a distance."
"I see, that explains it." Ranma thought.
"After I heard that you were almost killed by that beast of a man, my heart absolutely sank." Kodachi continued. "I needed to know the second that you were all well again, so I sent Sasuke to the Tendo Dojo to inform me of the moment when you were back on your feet and out of that detestable coma."
Kodachi looked over to the side.
"You did very well, Sasuke." she said. "I'm quite proud of you for accomplishing your task."
"Thank you very much, mistress." Sasuke said with a bow. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave now."
Ranma jumped a bit upon realizing that Sasuke was standing only about a meter and a half away from where he was standing with Kodachi. He was even more startled to see Sasuke appear to vanish into thin air, leaving only an afterimage behind for a fraction of a second.
"Was he there the whole time?" Ranma thought. "I didn't hear him whatsoever."
"Anyway, Sasuke arrived back here shortly before you and that rival of yours came running." Kodachi continued. "Once I heard the commotion and saw you on the street, I knew right away that without my assistance you would surely die. That's why I waited for you to pass by and did everything in my power to save you. After all, while a woman tends to wait for her prince to come in and save her from harm, who says that the reverse can't happen as well?"
"Well um…thanks I guess." Ranma shrugged. "You really did save my life back there. Ryoga really was trying to kill me, and he was right on the verge of being able to do so before you swooped in like that. Please know that I'm really grateful to you for doing that."
Kodachi immediately let out one of her signature laughs for a few seconds before continuing.
"Oh, my heart flutters at such a compliment." she said. "You've absolutely made my day."
Kodachi stood up and twirled around in delight for a few seconds before returning to her kneeling position. She placed both of her hands on Ranma's shoulders and looked him right in the eye.
"But onto more serious matters." she said. "Ranma darling, were you able to discover some alternate means of curing the effects of those mushrooms so you can return to your original, handsome self?"
Ranma shook his head.
"Sorry, but no. I haven't found anything just yet." he answered. "Then again, I haven't exactly had a chance to do much searching since I woke up."
Kodoachi smiled brightly at this and immediately picked Ranma up in her arms.
"Well this is your lucky day." she said. "As it would happen, I just might have the cure that you've been looking for right here."
Kodachi began to carry Ranma across the lawn of the estate. Ranma squirmed a bit in her arms as she did so.
"Hey, put me down." he protested. "I can walk there myself, you know."
"I know you can." Kodachi said. "But isn't this way so much better?"
"It's unmanly for a boy to be carried around by a woman." Ranma answered. "Even if that woman is much bigger than him."
Kodachi abruptly stopped walking and looked directly at Ranma with a piercing glare. Ranma flinched a bit upon seeing it.
"Now you listen to me." she said. "You have no idea how much I miss being small enough to be carried in this way by someone who cares about you. Mother used to carry me like this all the time before she passed on, and it was one of the worst things that I lost along with her. If I were you, I'd take advantage of other people's kindness and milk the perks of your new form for all its worth. Because once it goes away, so do all of those perks."
Ranma was scared by Kodachi's outburst, though he also felt a bit sad. He had seen time and time again that Kodoachi was much more naturally feminine than Akane, despite them both having rather aggressive attitudes. And he had never heard any story from either Kuno or Kodachi about their mother. Did this mean that she had died just like Mrs. Tendo had? And here he was protesting when Kodachi was actually making an effort to be nice to him. It seemed as if Genma was right after all. He really did have a lot of growing up to do.
Ranma sighed and hugged Kodachi slightly in an attempt to appease her.
"You're right, I'm sorry for that." he said. "Will you please continue to carry me?"
Kodachi's anger immediately evaporated and was replaced by another bright smile.
"Gladly." she said before letting out another long laugh.
Kodachi carried Ranma over to the other side of the estate. The two ended up in front of a set of extremely large, black doors that Ranma had never seen before. Granted, he had never spent enough time at the estate to gain a full scope of everything that it had to offer, but it was still quite a surprise nonetheless. Once they had reached the doors, Kodachi placed Ranma back on the ground before reaching into her bosom and pulling out a long, ancient-looking silver key.
"Woah. That's quite the hiding place." Ranma thought.
Kodachi inserted the key into the lock on the door and turned it. A loud click was heard from inside, after which Kodachi returned the key to its hiding place.
"Prepare yourself, Ranma darling." she said. "The answer to all of your problems lies just beyond these doors."
Kodachi moved forward and pushed the doors open.
"I give you…the Kuno Family Hall of Ancient and Magical Artifacts." she said.
Ranma's mouth fell open once the light from the outside spilled in through the open doors. He was looking at a large open room, full of shelves that were overstuffed with very ancient-looking artifacts of all kinds. Some appeared to be thousands of years old, while others appeared to have been made very recently. Lots of them were composed of what appeared to be gold and silver, while others had precious gemstones embedded in them. Seeing them all together like this caused Ranma to wonder if he had actually stepped into some sort of previously unknown museum instead of a rich family's private collection. Kodachi noticed his expression and giggled slightly as she stepped inside.
"For centuries, the male members of the Kuno bloodline have shared a rather strange hobby of collecting supposed 'magical artifacts'." she said. "No one had ever understood what's driven this desire, least of all me. How it works is that ownership of the collection is typically handled by the eldest male Kuno, who then passes it down to their eldest child upon their death. Father is the only member of our family who never seemed to show any interest in it. After Grandfather died, he relinquished his claim and passed on ownership of it to my brother. Since then, brother dear has worked hard to fill this room with just about every dusty knick knack and ancient-looking thingamabob that he can get his hands on. There's an antique shop in town with a dealer who's always tricking him into wasting his money on anything new that catches his fancy."
"Oh yeah, I think I remember hearing something about that." Ranma said. "Isn't that where he bought that stupid phoenix egg that hatched on his head and started attacking everyone that got too close to him?"
"The very same place." Kodachi answered. "That egg was destined to collect dust like everything else in here, but to my brother it would've been an ever so fine addition to his already vast collection. Until now I never would've voluntarily come in here of my own accord, but it seems that fate has finally found a use for all of these pieces of junk. It's a good thing that I was able to swipe the spare key from his dresser while he was out and about the other day."
"Wait, are you trying to say that there's some kind of artifact in here that has the power to turn me back to normal?" Ranma asked.
"Well…maybe." Kodachi shrugged.
"Huh? What do you mean 'maybe'?'" Ranma asked.
"To be perfectly honest, I have absolutely no idea what anything in here is, or what they do." Kodachi answered. "I'm sure that you can guess based on my brother's behavior that he has no idea about what any of this stuff does either. More than likely, most of the pieces in the collection are fake. However, I'm certain that at least that there are some actual magical artifacts mixed in here and there."
"So…you don't have a cure then?" Ranma asked. "I'm out of here."
Ranma turned around and began to exit the room. Kodachi quickly rushed out to block his path.
"Wait a minute." she said. "Where are you going?"
"Hey, I don't have time to waste on the low possibility of there being some kind of cure among all of that junk." Ranma answered. "Why should I expect anything when you two don't even know what any of the stuff in there is?"
"Fair point, I was just getting to that." Kodachi answered. "What I was about to say was that even though I know nothing about these artifacts, I do know someone who might."
"There you go with the 'might' and 'maybe' again." Ranma groaned. "Can you get to the point already?"
"The point is that I've been looking to appraise the collection for quite some time." Koadachi answered. "I told my brother a few months ago that if he wanted to keep on storing all of this junk, we should at least know the value of what he was so desperate to hold onto. He appeared to be somewhat receptive to the idea, mainly because of that blunder at Furinkan High School's bazaar when he sold you those cursed cards."
Ranma's eyes widened in shock.
"Are you talking about that incident with the Cards of the Beast that he sold to me? he asked. "Those things that nearly killed us all when they created six superpowered devilish versions of Hopposai that started running amok? You're telling me that they were lying in here before all of that?"
"Yes, that's correct." Kodachi answered.
Ranma stared at Kodachi with a look of absolute disbelief.
"And…even though you know about how well that turned out, you still want to unearth everything in this room in the slim hope that you'll be able to find me a cure?" he asked. "An action which could and likely will uncover and awaken something just as bad, if not worse, than those cards. Have you gone completely insane?"
"I know very well that there would be risks involved. She answered. But wouldn't the end result make it more than worth it to at least try. It's been said that the contents of this collection comprises pieces taken from all areas of the Asian continent dating back several thousand years, with a few pieces from France to boot. As I said, my ancestors fancied anything that was even remotely considered magical or otherworldly, and were always willing to pay through the nose to get anything that fit in those categories. For all we know, one of those pieces could be some samples of the mushrooms which have been preserved. I doubt that they could be consumed as they are, but any potential samples could be cloned and replicated by scientists in a lab. That would eliminate the need for you to find more of them growing in the wild. I know that it's a long shot for sure, but if you're looking for something with magical properties that isn't easy to find, chances are that it's in this collection. You can try to look for more samples on your own, but when you think about it this option really is your best bet for returning to your original age."
Ranma stopped to ponder this for a minute. Kodachi's plan sounded crazy and dangerous to him at first, but she did bring up a few good points. This collection housed a lot of mysterious treasures, all of which were purchased because of their supposed magical abilities. It was perfectly reasonable to assume that there might be a sample of the mushrooms in there somewhere. If this was indeed the case, all of Ranma's problems would be solved in an instant. There might even be something in there which could remove Jusenkyo curses, and that would be the icing on the cake as far as Ranma was concerned. He was still cautious though as Kodachi was making all of this sound way too good to be true.
"Alright, let's just say for the fun of it that you're right and that this crazy plan of yours actually works." he said. "What's the catch? What is it that you want to get from me in exchange for your help, aside from the possibility of me turning back to normal, that is?"
Kodachi smirked a bit and walked directly over to Ranma. She quickly got down on her knees once again so she could look him in the eye.
"You really are much more perceptive than most people give you credit for, Ranma darling." she said. "But that…is one of the things that I've always found so desirable about you. Alright, I'll tell you what it is that I hope to gain out of all of this."
Ranma gulped a bit in apprehension. Whatever Kodachi was about to tell him, he knew that it couldn't possibly be anything good.
"If you agree to my plan, what I am hoping for is that you will consider living here with me until you're eventually cured or grow up naturally. Whichever comes first." Kodachi said.
Ranma stepped back a few steps out of surprise. Of all the things that could've been said to him, he never would have anticipated this.
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked.
"I know very well that I have no legal claim to you unlike your other three fiances." Kodachi answered. "That has never once been a deterrent to me whatsoever though. I always tried to win you over through my affections in the hopes that you would ultimately choose to be with me of your own free will. Alas, my efforts until now have been for nought. Now however, it would appear that I have something of interest that could benefit you in some way should we team up. This is what I'm proposing…"
Kodachi placed both of her hands on Ranma's shoulders.
"Enter into a legally binding pact with me, one that will officially make me one of your finances, or more specifically your only fiance." she continued. "As a condition of the pact, you will become an honorary member of the Kuno family and live here on the estate with me and my brother. These terms will remain until you eventually return to your original age, after which the two of us will marry for real and you will become a full-fledged member of my family."
"And why in the world would I want to live here with the likes of you?" Ranma asked angrily. "Besides, your brother and I don't exactly get along in case you didn't know. He'd likely try to feed me to that pet alligator that you keep in the koi pond over there."
Kodachi lowered her head for a few seconds before looking back up.
"I understand your concerns." she answered. "However, I wasn't just going to impose a bunch of restrictions on you. The terms of this deal have a great deal of perks attached to the offer as well, all of which I'm prepared to give you should you agree."
"Perks? What kind of perks?" Ranma asked.
"To start off with, my family's wealth would be yours to share." Kodachi answered. "You would no longer have to forage for scraps in the garbage or live in that run down hovel called the Tendo Dojo. As an honorary member of the Kuno family, you would have the chance to join high society as one of us. In addition to this, you would have a chance to receive an entirely new education to buy time while waiting for a cure. I know very well that you missed out on much of your formal school years due to spending it traveling the world with your father. I could help you make up for all that by hiring the best tutors money can buy to teach you everything you need to know. Trust me Ranma darling, by the time that I'm done with you you'll never have to worry about being a lower-class citizen again. You would have the money, skills, and connections to be whatever you want to be. What I'm offering you is a chance at absolute freedom, and the means by which to achieve it."
"Provided that I still have to marry you of course." Ranma said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Exactly." Kodachi said cheerfully. "Even if a cure can't be found, I will do my best to raise you and keep you safe from harm. You can think of me as your new mother, your big sister, or simply your fiance who you are destined to marry the moment that you become sixteen years old again. I know that all of these conditions may seem a bit constricting, but I believe that deep down you've always yearned for a life of luxury and comfort."
"How'd she know about that?" Ranma thought.
"The simple fact is that the outside world is a very dangerous place for a child such as yourself, as I'm sure that you're now aware." Kodachi continued. "Ever since you were fed that mushroom, there have been people trying to kill you left and right, and your new body has been unable to stand up to them despite the many years of martial arts training under your belt. That rival of yours nearly killed you twice, and a little birdie told me that that foreign weirdo with the terrible eyesight attacked you simply because you reminded him of your older self. Truly a despicable act if I ever did hear it. If you agree to stay with me, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe from harm. No one will dare lay a hand on you as long as I have something to say about it."
"You know, you don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to expecting safety from you." Ranma said. "When we first met, you paralyzed me and tried to kiss me when I was left in a position where I was unable to resist whatsoever. What reason could I possibly have to trust that you wouldn't do something similar if I agreed to stay with you as part of this crazy deal?"
"I won't deny that I have a tendency to pull some pretty despicable acts, even to those that I care about." Kodachi answered. "My love of Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics has led me to launch preemptive strikes to secure easier victories for the St. Hebereke team, and looking back on it, I could've softened the blow a little bit when it came to trying to show off the petals of love which had suddenly begun to blossom in my heart. Please note though that I draw the line at using any of these techniques on innocent children. The kinds of people who would even consider doing stuff like that are the scum of the Earth that should be wiped from the face of it."
"Why does everybody keep saying that lately?" Ranma thought.
"In the end love conquers all, and I have plenty of it to give." Kodachi continued. "Ranma darling, agree to be mine and I swear that I will love and protect you until the end of my days. Even if I have to wait another ten years for you to return to your original age, the flames of my love will continue to burn just as bright. Hopefully by the time that you finally become your older, incredibly handsome self once again, you'll have learned to love me in the same way."
Ranma slowly backed up until he was standing in the green area of the estate.
"Look, I appreciate it and all, but I think that I'll pass." he said.
"Oh Ranma darling, what's wrong?" Kodachi asked. "Isn't there anything that I could do to change your mind."
"I'll admit that your idea had a lot to offer, and that sorting through that room of artifacts is at this moment my best chance of returning to normal." Ranma answered. "I draw the line though at the prospect of an additional fiance. Pops just said that Akane and I had to remain engaged, and that honestly didn't sit very well with me. Trying to juggle one more fiance into the mix would just give me a splitting headache. It's bad enough having to deal with three, not counting all of those other ones out there that Pops promised me to without my knowledge."
"But that's just it, Ranma." Kodachi said. "If you agree to this, I would be your only fiance. If you decided on it, you would never again have to see those loved ones of yours who care only about their own self interests over you as a person. You would stay here until you grow up, and I would be the only love interest in your life that you would ever have to deal with. It would be a fresh start, one where you would have a chance to be truly happy for the first time ever."
Ranma opened his mouth to respond, but quickly shut it. It was clear to him that this conversation was going nowhere, and he really wanted to just end it as soon as possible.
"My answer is still no." he said while turning around. "Now I'd better get going. It's getting late, and Akane and the others are probably wondering where I am. I'll see you around."
Ranma rushed over to the wall of the compound and prepared to make a running leap to clear it. He made the jump, only to be abruptly pulled back by a sudden force that was tugging on his right leg. He landed flat on his face, still within the bounds of the estate.
"Hey, what was that for?" he asked as he sat back up and turned around.
Ranma's face fell when he saw Kodachi's expression. Her warm and comforting smile had been replaced by an icy scowl. She was once again holding her gymnastics ribbon, and had apparently used it to prevent Ranma from leaving.
"I was hoping that you would come along of your own accord, but it seems like you've forced my hand." she said. "I didn't want to have to do this, but one way or another I am going to become your fiance for real."
Kodachi yanked on the ribbon which pulled Ranma straight into her arms. She used her elbows and legs to pin Ranma in place as she slipped a hidden pair of handcuffs out of her leotard. Ranma began to panic as he saw them.
"With these, I can make sure that you don't go anywhere." Kodachi said.
"I should've expected this from the likes of you." Ranma said. "And after all that talk you gave about how people who hurt little kids are monsters."
"Who ever said that I was hurting you?" Kodachi asked. "I'm just going to ensure that you can't leave the estate until we find you a cure. All of those other amenities and luxuries that I mentioned will still be included. Now hold still. The less you struggle, the easier that this will be."
Despite Kodachi's words, Ranma did his absolute best to struggle against her advances. It was futile effort to try and escape from her pull, as he lacked the physical strength necessary to do so. He could at the very least though prevent her from attaching those handcuffs.
"Come on." she said. "Just relax and I promise that you'll never have to worry about anything ever again."
These words only encouraged Ranma to fight back even harder. He had seen a pair of handcuffs just like those once before, and could clearly remember how much trouble they had been. Kodoachi had used them against Ranma when he faced off against her in the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics competition between Furinkan High and St. Hebereke's. Kodachi had used them to attach P-chan to Ranma's arm as a type of handicap. It had been bad enough for Ranma having to focus on fighting while dealing with a black pig that wanted to bite her at every opportunity, but it also led to both hers and Ryoga's secrets being exposed when Kodachi stole a kettle of hot water from Genma to use as a weapon.
Seeing the handcuffs in action again was already causing some rather unsettling images to pop up in his mind. One that stood out in particular was one where he was chained up like an animal in the basement of the estate, unable to do anything unless Kodachi or Kuno authorized it. The thought was making him sick to his stomach, but it also gave him an idea about how to get out of this situation and prevent that possible future from coming true.
Ranma mustered all of his strength and pushed both of his palms forward into Kodoachi's chest.
"The very thought of being your captive here, is the worst thing that I could ever imagine happening to me." he yelled. "Shishi Hokodan."
Before Kodachi could react, a massive energy blast struck her and knocked her straight into the wall on the other side of the compound. She was so startled by the attack that she dropped her ribbon. Ranma quickly stood up and began to untangle the ribbon from his leg.
"Wow, that was way more powerful than I expected." he thought. "Even so, now's not the time for self praise. I need to get out of here quickly before she has a chance to recover."
Ranma quickly rushed towards the wall and leapt over it. As soon as he did, Kodachi sat up slightly and stretched out her arm towards him.
"Ranma darling, come back." she said weakly. "We could be so good together."
Several seconds passed without Ranma reappearing. Kodachi's head sank and she banged her fist onto the ground in frustration.
"Damn it." she yelled.
Ranma didn't want to run the risk of Kodachi chasing after him in the same way that Ryoga had done earlier. To prevent this, he quickly rushed down several streets at random with as much speed as he could muster. He paid no attention to where he was going, as the point was to put as much distance between himself and the Kuno estate as possible. He even ran down several pathways at random in an attempt to ward off anyone who might be trying to follow his trail. After continuing on like this for several minutes, he began to feel exhausted and stopped to catch his breath.
"Okay…I think that's…far enough." he said between gasps.
Once Ranma had regained his composure, he looked up and noticed that he had ended up in a rather busy street that looked very familiar. A savory smell filled the air which caused Ranma's mouth to water.
"Mmmm, something smells good." he said.
Ranma followed the smell around a nearby corner. He smiled slightly when he realized where knew where he had ended up.
"I knew it. That's where it's coming from." he said.
On the other side of the street was the Cat Cafe, owned by Shampoo and her great grandmother Cologne. Despite Ranma's general disdain for the Chinese Amazons and their bizarre commitment to laws and tradition, he still came to this place often because of their wonderfully delicious food. Cologne had also proven to be a very useful person to learn new techniques from. The fact that she was nearly three-hundred years old made her an absolute treasure trove of wisdom and experience that Ranma was able to draw from to assist in his efforts to become the greatest martial artist in the world. If it wasn't for her, he never would've learned the Chestnut Fist technique or the Hiryu Shoten Ha, both of which had since become signature techniques that he used frequently in battle. She supported him wholeheartedly in the hopes that he would one day confess his love for Shampoo and agree to marry her, but she knew how to be patient to get what she desired and rarely forced the issue unlike her great-granddaughter. Overall, Ranma enjoyed their company and was always eager for a meal at the cafe.
Seeing the cafe and smelling the wondrous aroma coming from inside caused Ranma's stomach to growl. He suddenly became aware of the fact that he hadn't eaten anything since he woke up from his coma a few hours previously.
"Man, I'm starving." he said. "I was so angry at Pops and Akane that I completely forgot to grab a bite before I stormed off. Plus, all that fighting and sprinting has really worn me out."
Ranma looked back at the Cat Cafe, but hesitated just before he was about to cross the street.
"Should I?" he asked. "I mean, I really should be heading back to the dojo and letting everyone know that I'm alright. Then again, I am already here."
Another thought entered Ranma's head.
"Plus, now that I think about it, the Old Ghoul does have a great deal of knowledge about magical artifacts and techniques." he continued. "Maybe she knows more about the mushrooms and how to reverse their effects. This is beyond perfect. I can get some food as well as a possible way to return to normal. Things are finally starting to look up."
Ranma crossed the street and opened the door of the cafe. Unsurprisingly, the place was fairly packed with people since it was late afternoon/early evening. The restaurant was very popular with the people of Nerima, and now several of them had decided to come here for some dinner. Ranma just hoped that Cologne wouldn't be too busy to talk to him, though there was only one way to find out.
"Hey Old Ghoul, are you there? I'm starving." he called out.
Cologne soon came hopping out of the kitchen on her wooden staff and delivered several bowls of noodles to multiple tables at one, earning a small amount of applause from the amazed patrons. As soon as she took what appeared to be a bow, she hopped over to Ranma and plopped herself back on the ground.
"Well, if isn't the future son-in-law." she said. "Although, you're certainly much shorter than you were the last time that you came in here."
Ranma opened his mouth to explain the situation, but Cologne beat him to it.
"Save your breath." she said. "Shampoo informed me of yours and Ryoga's predicament after she and Mousse came back from one of their deliveries a few days ago. Although, it seems as if Ryoga was able to turn his fortunes around for once. He ran right past here a little while ago rambling about how he was planning to get his vengeance on you for something that you did."
"Yeah, it's a long story." Ranma shrugged.
"We have time. Why don't you come upstairs and tell me all about it." Cologne said. "I was actually expecting you to drop by at some point since you always come to me when you need help dealing with bizarre magical circumstances such as this."
"Um, can I possibly get something to eat first?" Ranma asked. "I haven't eaten anything for the last few days, and all the nonsense that I had to endure on the way over here has really left me drained. I could eat a horse right now with how hungry I am."
Ranma's stomach rumbled out of the blue, almost as if it was doing so to reinforce this point. Cologne chuckled for a few seconds.
"Of course." she said. "We can do both at the same time. There's a lot of room in the apartment that Shampoo and I share upstairs. We can fill a few bowls and take them up with us so you can enjoy them in peace. While you're eating, you can tell me everything about how you ended up like this. I'm sure that it's a fascinating tale."
"Okay, yeah." Ranma said with a smile. "Thanks a bunch."
"My pleasure." Cologne said. "Now, please follow me."
Cologne climbed back up onto her staff and began to hop towards the back of the restaurant. Ranma followed closely behind her.
"Hey, I need three deluxe bowls in the hallway." she cried out.
As the two stepped through a door into the hallway connecting the kitchen with the remainder of the restaurant, Cologne picked up a large, freshly cleaned serving tray.
"Three deluxe bowls for hallway." a male voice with a thick Chinese accent called out.
Almost immediately afterwards, the three bowls of noodles that Cologne had ordered came flying through the air, directly towards the spot where Ranma and Cologne were standing. Cologne jumped off of her staff and used the tray to catch all three bowls before plopping herself back on the ground.
"Impressive." Ranma said.
"Well, give it ten more years or so and you'll be able to do it as well." Cologne said. "Although, I guess in your case it would probably require twenty."
Cologne chuckled at her little joke while Ranma just looked down in embarrassment. He was really hoping that this would be the stop that would finally provide him with a cure. The sooner that he returned to normal, the better.
Cologne placed her staff against a wall and began to carry the tray towards a set of stairs leading to the apartment located above the restaurant. Just before she and Ranma could reach them, a side door to the restaurant burst open. Shampoo, who was wearing her waitress uniform, stepped inside and closed the door behind her, leaving her bike against the side of the wall in front of an identical one.
"Great-Grandmother, I'm back." she said.
Shampoo immediately noticed Cologne and Ranma standing right in front of her and started to beam.
"Oh, ni hao Ranma." she said with delight.
Before Ranma could react, Shampoo picked him up and began to hug him to her chest.
"So happy." she said. "You come and see Shampoo. And on top of that, you are still incredibly cute and small version as well. You so adorable."
Ranma tried to protest, but found that once again he was unable to articulate anything because of the mountain of flesh that was muffling his mouth. Luckily, this didn't go unnoticed by Cologne who set the tray down and used her staff to pull Ranma out of Shampoo's grip. Ranma once again began to gasp for air as he was set back down on the ground.
"Let the poor kid breathe, Shampoo." Cologne said. "I know that he looks incredibly cute and adorable like this, but he's not a stuffed animal. Squeeze him too hard, and he's bound to pop."
Shampoo put her hands over her mouth in shock.
"Ai yah. My bad." she said. "Shampoo real sorry she almost hurt Ranma. Can you make him all better, Great-Grandmother?"
"Well that remains to be seen. It all depends on whatever it was that caused this to happen in the first place." Cologne answered. "He and I are going to talk upstairs, and hopefully I can go from there."
"Ooh, Shampoo help too." Shampoo cheered.
"Not a chance, Shampoo. The restaurant is far too busy right now with the early dinner rush." Cologne refuted. "Since I'm going to be off the floor for a while, I need you to wait tables in my stead. Tell Mousse that I want him to take over your delivery runs."
Shampoo's smile faded and her head dropped a bit in defeat, but it quickly snapped back to attention.
"Understood." she said. "Just make sure you bring Ranma down here once finished. Shampoo want to make sure that she says personal goodbye to airen."
"Yeah yeah." Cologne said. "I'll make sure that you have the chance. Now get out there, we have a lot of hungry people waiting."
"Right. On it." Shampoo said she raced through the door.
Cologne picked up the tray once again.
"Well, now that that's out of the way, let's go." she said. "This food is getting cold, you're still very hungry, and I'm really eager to know the reason behind you suddenly becoming so young. Shall we?"
"Please." Ranma said, somewhat impatiently.
1/27/2025
Special thanks to my biggest supporters: Homura VanRoyen, sudowiki
Hi Everyone. Here is the fourth chapter which is action oriented and much longer than the previous two chapters. Although my work on Chapter 5 didn't take off to the extent that I wanted, I am still happy by all of the attention and reviews that the fic has received thus far. It's helped lift my spirits and given me the confidence to continue moving forward with it.
This was one of the easiest chapters for me to write. It adapts a few scenes and events from the original fic, but takes them in a completely different direction. I knew that Ryoga battling against Ranma again would be repetitive and pointless, so I decided to have Ranma try to get away instead. The plot of Kodachi rescuing Ranma was added in to replace a scene where Ranma was attacked by Mousse in the original fic, and was done so because Mousse is one of the only characters in the series who I genuinely don't like. This subplot was inspired by Kodachi's lone appearance in the Mushrooms of Time arc, where she sees Ranma from afar and considers kidnapping him and raising him herself. I thought that it added some real depth to the story, and allowed me to use her and her family's wealth in a unique and interesting way. If the ending of those scenes were changed to have her actually succeed in kidnapping Ranma, it could be a different story unto itself. Alas, that is not the tale I wish to tell, but Kodachi's determination to make this happen will still remain as long as Ranma remains this way, and it will eventually come back later in the story once these two again cross paths.
I know that the ending to this chapter is somewhat abrupt, but I figured that this was the best way to avoid having Ranma manually recap everything that's happened to Cologne. This way, I can speed through this plot point and get straight into Ranma leaving Nerima, which will happen in the next chapter. I'm really excited about getting to this point, so stay tuned.
As with the release of Chapter 2, you'll have to wait a bit for the next chapter due to me pivoting back to The Oyama Project. Fortunately, that chapter is already mostly complete, so hopefully you won't have to wait nearly as long. In any event, I'm super excited to write the next chapter, so hopefully the wait will be well worth it.
Please be sure to like and comment on this chapter as any feedback you give me is extremely helpful to me as an aspiring writer.
If you enjoy what you've seen so far and you're interested in seeing more, consider checking out my other stories.
I'd like to thank you all for your encouraging likes, follows, and comments, and stay tuned for Chapter 5, coming soon.