Alex V Morgan
20th December 2002, 03:06 AM
Ranma Nibunnoichi : Reflections
By: A. V. Morgan (avmorgan27@attbi.com)
A continuation of the Two Ranmas manga story arc (V35 P1-4). Sexual
humor and innuendo, nudity and violence. Consider yourself warned.
Disclaimer: Ranma Nibunnoichi, and the associated cast and concepts are
the property of Rumiko Takahashi and those publishers and distributors
to whom she has given official rights. This work, in no way intends to
infringe upon those rights. The ideas explored are those of the author,
and should not be construed to express the opinions or intentions of
the creator or associated agencies.
BOLD Emphasis
~Italics~ Thought/Flashback
*SoundFX* ^_^;
[Sign] O.O [Arrrrgh! Panda's can't TALK!]
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Part Thirty-Two: A Shocking Proposition
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Dr. Tofu had risen almost an hour before dawn and promptly tripped
over the boy, sprawled over a thin mat, sleeping on his floor. In
this fashion, Fa Shen once again became conscious of her
transformation into a boy. She barely heard Tofu's apologies as she
sat up... as HE sat up and confronted himself. He had no choice, since
he was painfully aware of the throbbing ache in his groin
distracting him from the complaints of a full bladder. Gritting his
teeth, he rose and followed the doctor into the bathroom. His mind
flashed over the previous evening, untangling itself from the
memories recently grafted into it and concentrating on what had
happened after he parted company with Mousse. He arrived at the
clinic at ten-thirty; Tofu had pointed out the time as he came in,
saying they had an hour to talk before they should go to bed. Fa
Shen had pushed aside Mousse's request and proceeded to vent his
frustration. Simply put, he was beside himself. The only thing Fa
Shen had to cushion the blow of his inadvertent sex change was the
memories that came with the new body. The problem was, they had a
tendency to make him think he was someone else. Ranma.
"Ah! That is what I feared," Dr. Tofu had replied, sadly.
"It's very strange, actually. On one hand, I remember waking up a
few hours ago as a girl here in the clinic, but now I also feel like
I crawled out of that spring months ago as a different person," Fa
Shen elaborated. He shuddered, "I've been knocked for a loop a few
times in my life, and at least once forgot who I was after fighting
my way out of a dragon's belly. I am not sure how to deal with these
memories of being Ranma."
"Well, consider the bright side at least," Tofu pointed out, leading
him into his office and offering him a chair. "Obviously, you have
gained the ability to speak Ranma's native language and you are
familiarized with the current situation and circumstances. All of
the things you did not know when you woke up are now revealed. Our
main concern is to weed out any conflicts that emerge from having
Ranma's personality in addition to your own."
"Which is sort of odd, since I got it from Ranko."
"I suspect Ranko will have many of the problems you will. Especially
if she unearths the memories she has from you. The only effective
remedy for either of you is to consider your thoughts and actions
carefully and decide if they express your true intentions," Tofu
proposed.
"Do you believe there is any danger in using these memories to help
me deal with being male?" Fa Shen asked in concern.
"I believe that any experience you have to call upon is useful. Even
bad experiences can help you be a better person. It is not uncommon
for people to draw on experiences derived through other people, or
say, characters in stories. Considering that the three of you are
embodiments of the same soul, I doubt that sharing your experiences
would be harmful. The only thing that sets you all apart is your
individual perspectives. That will be true as long as you all live."
"So, I'm not going to turn into Ranma if I do?"
"I doubt a year of being Ranma can undo a lifetime of being
yourself, Fa Shen. Certainly, this makes you different from what you
were, but only you can determine who you are. The real question, for
all of you I suspect, is really one of gender. You all have the
experience of a year of flipping from male to female several times a
day, but suddenly you are all stuck as one or the other, and," Tofu
smiled in sympathy, "at least you and Ranma are stuck as the
opposite of what you are most comfortable with."
"I am not happy about being male, nor do I like having my
personality shift towards Ranma's in order to deal with it," Fa Shen
winced in agreement.
Tofu studied him thoughtfully for a moment. Out of clinical
interest, he proceeded to point out the assets of Fa Shen's present
form and prompting his opinion on each. After twenty minutes, he
decided that Fa Shen could appreciate his new body, and even
confessed to a healthy curiosity about it. After assuring him that
it was perfectly natural for Fa Shen to explore his new condition
and satisfy his curiosity about his anatomy and physiology, Tofu
concluded, "It seems to me that you are more upset at not being
female than you are about being male. Is that correct?"
"I guess that sums it up. I like being a girl. I loved my body and I
want it back," she insisted passionately. "As soon as I can, I plan
to visit my grave and get it back."
"So, you only need to get by as a boy temporarily. Even Ranma was
able to cope with being a girl for a month here or there, when he
could not change back for one reason or another."
"Are you sure that's not because he was really Ranko?"
"At the time, there was no difference," Tofu shrugged. Rather than
drift into discussing Ranko, Tofu proceeded to introduce Fa Shen to
the practical aspects of being male, starting with a brief
examination and then a trip to the bathroom to cover various aspects
of hygiene. Once he was sure Fa Shen could cope with going to the
bathroom, he excused himself, leaving the boy in the bathroom alone
with the suggestion that there might be things Fa Shen wished to
explore in private. This served to remind Fa Shen that "Ranma" had
indulged his curiosity about becoming female, without prompting, the
first time "she" bathed. Fa Shen never had the luxury of remaining
ignorant of sex in his former life. She had demanded answers as soon
as she had been confronted by boys and men interested in defeating
her for the purpose of marriage. What she had learned had a great
deal to do with her aversion to males from that point on. Alone in
the bathroom, Fa Shen was forced to admit that, while she never
wanted a man to force himself on her, it did not mean she had not
been curious about men. It was simply ironic that she had to be one
before he was able to indulge her curiosity.
A half hour of experimentation, however, had not revealed all the
mysteries of manhood, as Fa Shen discovered in the morning. His rush
to relieve himself was interrupted when he dropped his pants and
discovered his penis proudly straining upward, fully engorged. A
small cry of shock escaped his lips, followed by a groan of
frustration. "What the hell is wrong with this thing!?"
Dr. Tofu heard the complaint and poked his head out of the shower.
"Are you having some difficulty?"
Fa Shen turned around to face him and gestured helplessly, flushing
with embarrassment, "I can't go to the bathroom like this! Not
unless I stand on my hands! And, before you say anything, this is
NOT my fault! I was NOT playing with it! I just want to pee!"
Dr. Tofu suppressed the urge to laugh, and shook his head at the
boy's chagrin. The poor thing looked ready to cry in frustration.
"Relax, Fa Shen. The thought never even occurred to me. That is,
erm," he flushed faintly. "This is actually a normal occurrence for
men. Sleep can induce a mild state of arousal. Complicated by a full
bladder, you can become fully erect. That, ah, condition pinches off
the connection between the bladder and the urethra."
"What am I supposed to do!? I really gotta go!" Fa Shen began to
exhibit traces of Ranma as the dilemma taxed the boy's feminine
psyche.
Tofu sighed and gestured haphazardly, "Just... push it down. It's not
a rock, Fa Shen. Even like that it's, ah, rather flexible. Just make
sure you have it aimed correctly before you cut loose." The doctor
retreated into the shower, and did his damnedest not to burst out
laughing. One did not become a physician without some sense of
physical humor, but nothing could prepare a man for helping a girl-
turned-boy master the art of peeing while standing up.
Fa Shen considered the instructions and timidly brought his hands
forward. With his thumb and forefinger, he proceeded to "aim" for
the toilet bowl, wincing at the discomfort caused by bending the
swollen organ. The previous evening, he had learned how to relax and
let gravity take over. After several minutes, he decided he could
sooner thread a needle with winter mittens on. Applying a little
effort, he felt a slight obstruction give and hastily corrected his
aim as urine shot out under intense pressure. A few moments later,
he was wondering when he drank the contents of a lake. Eventually,
the ordeal was over. He remembered to shake before putting himself
away, and flushed the toilet in relief. The final remark, "What!?
Oh, now you go all soft again!? Gyaaaaaah!!" was too much for Tofu.
He roared with laughter as Fa Shen raced out of the bathroom.
In something of a temper, Fa Shen made his way down stairs into the
clinic. It would have been simpler to slip into the memories and let
that persona deal with the quirks of manhood, but he had been too
proud to take the easy route. He refused to admit that being male
intimidated him. That approach had worked the night before, and the
results had been pleasant, if ultimately messy and shocking. He had
to check his memories to establish that the consequences were
normal, but at least he had resorted to it after the fact. Shaking
his head, he wandered into the waiting room, choosing to avoid the
area where Happosai had slept the night in the examination room, and
settled down on a couch. Until he could return to the dojo and find
out what had happened when Ranma returned home, he would stay out of
the doctor's way. He was quickly lost in though, passing the time by
thinking through what had happened and what still had to be done.
Sometime later, his brooding was interrupted by a tapping on the
clinic's glass front door. Rousing himself, he peeked out the window
and saw Ranma. It had to be Ranma, since last he saw, Ranko could
barely move. Bounding over to the door, he unlocked it and invited
her in.
"Ranma? It is you, isn't it?"
"Yeah. And you're Fa Shen. They told me about you last night."
"Do you...?"
"I remember meeting you in the dream," Ranma anticipated the
question. She studied him in faint shock, and shook her head. "Even
with the memories, it's too weird seein' you in my body."
"No argument there!" Fa Shen laughed. Leading the girl over to the
couch, he flopped down and asked, "So, if you're here, does that
mean it's safe to go back to the dojo?"
"No. I don't know. I was up before everyone else, and I came over
here sort of on impulse," Ranma replied.
"That explains why you are still in your pajamas." Fa Shen grinned.
Ranma blinked and looked down at herself. Slapping her forehead, she
sighed. She had been in such a hurry to get away from Mousse, she
had forgotten she was dressed in the pajamas Nodoka had picked out
for her last night. "Stupid. I'm used to sleeping in my clothes."
"You're resisting the memories?" Fa Shen probed. He watched as the
girl shrugged and moved to the opposite couch and sat down cross-
legged.
"No point fightin' them, but I keep disconnecting at odd moments."
Ranma propped her hands on her crossed ankles and straightened her
spine.
Fa Shen nodded. "They're useful, but... they're not really me, either.
So, if you rushed over here on impulse, you must have something you
want to tell me," he suggested, shifting into a similar pose.
"A lot of things, actually. Mousse challenged Ranko to a marriage
duel last night, and I discovered a way to heal her. Mousse caught
on and pushed me to get your help healing her. He asked me to help
train him to beat Ranko, too," she sighed, biting her lip and
averting her eyes.
Fa Shen sensed there was more than she was saying at that. Clearing
his throat, he confided, "Actually, Mousse told me his plan. He
asked for my 'blessings' and asked me to help him also. I did not
think he would actually challenge her until I gave him an answer."
"He might not have. I get the idea, from what Cologne said, that my
idea for getting us all back to Jusenkyo set him off." Ranma quickly
outlined the plan to use the compact to ferry everyone to China, via
Mousse Air. "He wants to have a claim to her before she gets
anywhere near the amazon council."
"Ah. That makes sense." Fa Shen frowned hard at the girl. "There's
something bothering you. Something you're not telling me," he
accused gently.
Ranma flushed deeply. "I don't know how to tell you. It, ah... has to
do with healing Ranko. What it takes to heal her."
"Is there a problem? Will it endanger her?" Fa Shen worried.
"It might freak her out, but she doesn't need to know about it. No
one does. I discovered a way to recharge her ki, but I can't do it
alone, and... well, she uses ki from both of us, so... you're sorta the
only person who can help me," Ranko was skirting around the point,
unable to say it straight out.
"I don't understand. I mean, sure, I'll help you. Just teach me what
to do and I'll be happy to donate my ki too!" Fa Shen smiled,
delighted to hear that there was something he could actually do to
help Ranko. It was something he had resumed worrying about when he
came down from Tofu's apartment.
"Yeah, well. Thing is, you DON'T understand, and I don't want you to
freak out," Ranma hunched, still refusing to meet Fa Shen's eyes.
This evasiveness fully roused Fa Shen's suspicions. Ranma was
implying that, while there was a cure for Ranko, something they
could do, Fa Shen was not going to like it. In a careful voice, he
declared, "I am not sure if you can understand this, but Ranko is
sort of like a daughter to me, Ranma. On a spiritual level, she's
like our child. I'm not going to leave her in that condition if
there's anything I can do about it. So, stop beating around the bush
and just tell me, exactly, what we have to do to cure her."
Ranma cringed and took a deep breath. "Last night, when I got home
and talked to Ranko, she noticed that I transferred some ki to her
when I touched her. Somehow, something I had done had generated or
freed up some loose ki," Ranko began, building up to it. "I had an
idea what might have caused it. There was something, uh... I woke up
in the middle of something the other Ranko started. The only way to
check if it had something to do with that was to check Ryouga, since
he had been... he did it too. When I learned that he had the same kind
of loose ki built up, I knew what generated it."
Fa Shen frowned. From her acquired memories, Ranma and Ryouga tended
to fight, but last night "Ranko" and Ryouga had been on a date. Her
own expertise in the area of manipulating ki, or rather the studies
she undertook to master it, suggested only one sort of activity that
could result in what Ranma was describing. "You had sex with
Ryouga," he droned in flat shock.
Ranma nodded. "It was happening as I woke up. I was too... ah... blown
away to even think until way after it was over. It wasn't me... I..."
she shuddered and her head bowed to her chest.
Fa Shen blinked and stared. "You're saying we have to have sex to
heal Ranko." The boy gulped as Ranma nodded faintly. Half of his
mind was whirling in absolute shock that either of them should have
awakened in such a compromising position. Worse, he had been wishing
all night long that they had woken up in the opposite bodies. If Fa
Shen's wish had been granted, it would have been HER confronted with
that awakening! Without thinking, he flowed over to Ranma and pulled
her into a sympathetic embrace. Fa Shen would have reached out to
any girl who had been taken that way unawares, but if she was also a
boy in her own mind!? "Oh, Ranma...!" he moaned in sympathy.
"Gyaaaaa! Not this very minute!!!" Ranma pounded Fa Shen hard in the
chest, sending him flying across the room. She stood up in terror,
panting, unable to believe the news would provoke such an amorous
response.
Fa Shen righted himself and glared across the waiting room. "You
idiot! I was trying to console you! You think I wanted to...!?" Fa
Shen almost gagged.
"Jeez! First you say, 'we have to have sex...' then you jump on me and
start moaning my name!? What was I supposed to think!" Ranma
shouted, face scarlet with fury and embarrassment.
>From the door, Dr. Tofu cleared his throat and asked, "I am afraid I
missed something. WHY is it the two of you need to have sex?" He
hoped he could get an explanation of this very surprising
development without seeing his clinic destroyed in the process.
Ranma and Fa Shen turned to him, all color drained out of their
shocked faces, and then keeled over unconscious.
-------------------------
Nodoka had returned from the bathroom, where she had proudly
displayed the brilliant restoration of her natural hair color to
Ranko and Kasumi, before Cologne could explain her pronouncement.
Confronted with Nodoka's own questions at this sudden miracle,
pleading for an explanation of how the "blessed" water could have
affected her, Cologne begged for a moment to reflect. As she worked
out in her head how to reveal what she had discovered, people
awakened by Nodoka's rush through the house, exclaiming the miracle,
had filtered into the Tea Room in confusion. Ryouga, surprised by
Nodoka while trying to find his way out of the closet under the
stairs, was the first to arrive--still in plaintive search of the
bathroom. Shampoo soon followed, trailed by Nabiki, Ukyo, Soun, and
Genma--still in panda form and looking shell shocked. The last to
arrive were the damp and hastily dressed Ranko and Kasumi. Seeing
her oldest sister struggling to half carry Ranko in to the table,
Akane rushed over to help. With each arrival, the volume of querying
voices rose until Cologne finally shouted for silence.
"Now that everyone is present, I suppose I can explain what has
happened to Nodoka. With your permission, of course," she deferred
to the matriarch of the Saotome Clan. Nodoka nodded eagerly. Cologne
took a deep breath and proceeded to tell the history of Togenkyo and
the powers of the water naturally distilled from the Great Tree that
was the backbone of the floating island. "Hundreds of years ago, the
island kingdom drifted along the coasts of China and word of the
water's power to transform animals into men and cause the women who
ingested it to bear only sons spread through the mainland. For many,
the water was sought to ensure the birth of suitable male heirs, but
the enemies of the Jokezoku saw this as a way to destroy us from
within.
"Initially, we were caught unaware," Cologne frowned, recalling the
seeming tragedy she had witnessed. "While strange, there seemed no
reason to suspect foul play was responsible for the birth of only
male children for an entire generation. It was never uncommon for us
to bring in strong women from outside to sustain our ranks. We
suspected nothing until a foe used the water against a full grown
warrior and turned her into a man.
"Once other explanations were ruled out, and it was established that
it was the water of Togenkyo that was responsible, we devoted our
resources to developing a cure or antidote to restore that woman to
normal. In a few years, we succeeded," Cologne smiled, indicating
the bottle before her on the table. "This antidote could reverse the
transformation, and we learned of a taint that marked those who had
been exposed to Togenkyo water. In most cases, the taint was
revealed by a change of hair color in both the mother and the child.
This allowed us to restore all of the boys born in the new
generation who had been conceived as girls."
Nodoka blinked and once again studied her hair. "Does this mean...?"
Cologne turned to Nodoka, and gave her an odd smile. "It seems that
even in this day and age, there are those who will do anything for a
son. I know this might be difficult for you to face, but there is an
even chance that your son should have been your daughter."
"Oh! No! How could this have happened!?" Nodoka cried.
Cologne sighed and glanced over at Genma briefly. "If you were not
aware of taking any special measures to birth a son, perhaps you
need to speak to your husband. Or perhaps his Master."
Akane stared at Ranko and gulped, "But..."
Nabiki spoke right over her, laughing, "You mean, Ranma might
actually be a girl!?" She gave Ranko an ear-tickling grin and
winked, before rolling over in gut-wrenching hysterics.
Soun blinked slowly, several times before turning to Nodoka. "I
hesitate to ask, Nodoka, but... if Ranma IS in fact a girl..." he
blanched, "Is he still bound by your contract with Genma?"
Nodoka was just staring at the bottle in shock. Genma was even more
arrested. Neither breathing or moving, the panda held one paw to its
heart, waiting for it to beat again. Finally Nodoka ground her head
around to look at Cologne. "Is such a thing even possible!?" she
demanded in a small voice. Cologne nodded gravely, trying not to
look at Ranko.
Ranko herself was staring at the bottle, putting things together in
her head, and striving not to pass out. Without a word, she lay back
and covered her face. Not surprisingly, her movement caught Nodoka's
attention.
"Are you alright, Ranko?" Nodoka asked in immediate concern,
grateful for the distraction. As she moved to the girl's side, Ukyo
and Shampoo exchanged glances, looked at Ranko, and then silently
rose and walked out through the open shoji into the back yard. A
moment later, Akane jumped up and followed them out. Mousse, now
fully aware of what had happened, what might now happen, grabbed
Ryouga and dragged him off to the bathroom. Nodoka gave a confused
look at the sudden exodus of young people and returned her gaze to
Ranko, still waiting for an answer. "Ranko?"
"'M fine," she finally breathed. "I feel a little dizzy though..."
Nodoka repositioned herself at the girl's side and suddenly realized
something. "Wait. You... this was the medicine you used on Ranko?" she
turned to meet Cologne's eye. Cologne kept her eyes level but said
nothing. Nodoka frowned, "Was- was it the correct medicine? Why did
Ranko need an antidote for water that turns things male?"
Cologne saw only the slimmest way out of telling the actual truth.
Like any good lie, part of the truth would suffice. "I was not aware
of such a need. It is purely a coincidence that it was beneficial in
her case," Cologne admitted.
Nodoka felt an ache begin at the back of her eyes and quickly
pinched the bridge of her nose. When her vision cleared, she looked
down at Ranko, who had moved her hand to stare up at her. For the
thousandth time, she was struck by how similar she was in appearance
to Nodoka herself at the same age. For the first time, she was
capable of drawing the obvious conclusion. With her eyes suddenly as
wide as saucers, she gasped. "Oh! No! It can't be!" she moaned,
tentatively reaching down and taking the girl's face in her hands.
"A-are y-you... Are you my s-son?" she begged in a horrified whisper.
Ranko could not look away. Her head was in a firm grip, her mother's
face lowered to the point where she could not effectively look away.
In the background, Genma finally keeled over unconscious with a
resounding boom. Unwilling to close her eyes, Ranko licked her lips
and... smiled in sudden relief. "No. I am not Ranma," she stated
clearly and honestly. Taking a deep breath, she added, "I've had
days when I thought other wise, but that was an effect of the
curse."
Nodoka sagged, unintentionally resting her forehead on Ranko's.
"Dear Ranko, forgive me. It's just... you... From the look of you, you
really could be my daughter. With what I just heard..." she pulled the
pair of them back up and hugged Ranko, unable to complete her
sentence.
"That's okay, M- Mrs. Saotome. I understand," Ranko hugged back
limply. Even though she had dissociated herself from Ranma, there
was enough of him in her for her to nearly panic under these
circumstances. When Nodoka held her back and looked into her eyes
again, Ranko had to ask, "Not to be rude or anything, but... if I had
been Ranma..." She bit her lip and then forced herself to continue,
"Would you have made me do it?"
Nodoka looked puzzled for a moment. She heard a strangled sound from
Nabiki and glanced over to see Cologne pantomiming seppuku to
illustrate Ranko's question. Nodoka's eyes widened in instant
comprehension, and she snapped back to look at Ranko. Instead of
saying the first thing that came to mind, she composed herself.
Reminding herself sternly that there was a reason, above and beyond
the contract, why it was necessary for her to have a true son, she
took a more aggressive approach. "Are you asking to satisfy
curiosity, or is this another attempt to protect my son?"
Ranko winced and bit her lip. Carefully, she pointed out, "I heard
what Cologne said. I wouldn't want to see Ranma die just because he
turned out to be a girl, especially if it's not his fault.
Especially," she emphasized, "if that's what he was supposed to be
in the first place!"
"You don't understand..." Nodoka began.
"What's to understand!?" Ranko cried, long held anger over the
contract overcoming the shock of Cologne's latest revelation. "Male
or female, he's still your child! How could you ever hold something
like this over his head!?" Ranko roared, growing red in the face.
"Why are you so angry?" Nodoka flinched back, honestly confused.
"Why is it so important for Ranma to be a man!?"
"It- That... It's supposed to be, 'Man-Among-Men'," Nodoka corrected
automatically. Then she scowled and shot back, "And, as far as that
stupid contract goes, that was not my idea! Genma, my husband, wrote
that contract, and badly at that, to guarantee he would not violate
my promise to my father, to bear and raise a true man! A man who
could..." she cut herself off. That was not to be spoken of.
"Could what?" Cologne gently prodded.
Nodoka turned on her and almost shouted, before composing herself
once more. "That is a private matter, and it only applies to Ranma
if he lives up to his potential as a man."
"What kind of man? What does Man-Among-Men mean, if I may ask. As an
amazon, I am afraid the concept is rather foreign to me," Cologne
maintained, unflinching.
Nodoka pulled herself up and stated, firmly, "A true man can be
recognized by many traits, but he does not possess them through
acquisition. A true man does not strive to measure up, but to
surpass measure, and so it would be an error to name his
expectations. To attempt to define him is to deny him the most
important trait, that being for him to define himself. To call him a
Man-Among-Men is to say that he is recognized by his peers, for he
stands out even among his own kind. If there is a virtue that
defines manhood, he exemplifies it."
Cologne smiled evenly, "Indeed, that is an impressive standard. One
I am well familiar with, as it is the same standard upheld by the
amazons, though we do not regard these virtues the exclusive
property of men."
"I suppose you are missing the point," Nodoka sighed. "While I
believe women should aspire to equal heights, when possible, what
woman can embody the qualities of a man? How could my son, if he
were to be revealed as a woman?"
"In which case, he should simply die?"
Nodoka crumpled. In a tired voice, she rattled, "In such a case it
becomes apparent that I failed from the very start. The whole
agreement presupposes that he is a man. If he is otherwise, really a
woman in men's clothing, it would not be possible for him to achieve
his destiny. The contract can only be valid if he is male. I would
have thought being born that way sufficient, but if a glass of water
can strip him of that, I cannot see it as a failure of upbringing.
If anything it is a misconception in the most literal sense!"
Ranko interrupted, in an agonized voice. "Even if he is a true man
at heart?" She looked into her mother's eyes. It was so difficult
not to hear this as Ranma, but at the same time, looking back on her
own awakening and the decision she made to be female, for all she
was as inclined to be male, she understood something of what Nodoka
meant. Still, knowing Ranma as well as she did, she had to speak up
for him.
Nodoka sighed. "That would depend. He cannot be aware of what we
have learned here today. He has lived his life, a boy aspiring to be
a man, and if that is never brought into question, and he is proven
to be a young man of stature and nobility--a Man-Among-Men--then I
may grant him his birthright and fulfill my promise to my father. If
instead, he is revealed to be a woman, that birthright must pass on
to 'her' son, and so on, until it is fulfilled."
There was a round of silence.
"What?" Ranko quailed.
"If Ranma literally is not a man, if he is my daughter, then my
obligation must pass on to her," Nodoka explained. Taking a deep
breath, "I would have to find her a suitable husband, and no doubt
teach her everything she missed because she was raised as a boy."
"Why?"
"It is a debt I carry, and which any daughter of my line must carry
until it is repaid," Nodoka stated succinctly. "I can say no more on
this."
-------------------------
Outside the Tendo home, and in the furo, two heated conversations
were taking place. Certain similarities predominated. As Akane
enlightened Ukyo and Shampoo about what had happened that morning
and the ultimate cause and consequence, Mousse was endeavoring to
relate the same details to Ryouga. The simplest details, confirmed
by the shift in Nodoka's hair color and Ranko's continued existence
after a hot bath, proved that Ranko was now, entirely, a girl. The
question however, was, since she got that body from Ranma, did that
mean Ranma was supposed to be a girl? As far as the amazons, and
Ryouga were concerned, it was a strong argument. Among the amazons,
because of the abuse of Togenkyo water, it was established that the
gender of a child was that determined upon conception. Ryouga did
not have any such excuse, just the vivid memory of the previous
night. Since none of these five had listened to the rest of the
discussion with Nodoka, they had no idea what the outcome of Ranma
being exposed at this point would be.
"I think it's best that Ranma stays Ranneko for now," Akane
declared.
"Shampoo agree, is best," nodded the purple head.
"I don't believe it! After all of this, the person I'm engaged to is
a girl!" Ukyo wanted to strangle something. Instead she sighed,
"Well, this really eliminates the differences between Ranma and
Ranko. No engagement can hold up if the truth comes out about Ranma.
I don't see any reason not to continue pursuing Ranko just because
she's stuck as a girl."
"Shampoo so confused, not know if Ranko even want be boy again, but
still love. Shampoo want castrate Mousse for trying take Ranko!" she
growled.
"So, it doesn't bother either of you that Ranko is...? Well, she's a
girl. Even if she gets a guy curse like Ranma's supposed to get,
she's not going to ever give up her girl side. And you both still
want her?" Akane challenged, plaintively.
"Is any different for Kitchen Destroyer?"
"Well, I don't know," Akane frowned. Did loving a girl make, well,
loving her alright? She shook her head. "I'm just sort of confused.
I sort of feel like I'd have to get cursed to be a guy too, if I
wanted to be with her."
The other girls stared at her.
"I think maybe you're taking things a bit too far, sugar," Ukyo
crooned.
"I didn't say I wanted to!" Akane fumed. She fell back into
uncertainty. "It has more to do with being fair, or balanced. I
mean, you're both talking like you want to marry her. Can you DO
that if you're both girls!?"
That stumped her rivals.
"Is can happen in amazon tribe," Shampoo said meekly.
"Is that what she wants?" Akane retorted weakly.
"Akane, if you don't want that kind of relationship, no one is going
to think less of you for letting Ranko go. Hell, most people around
here will expect it. Whatever your problem is, don't criticize us
for following our hearts," Ukyo shook the other girl lightly.
Akane huffed. "Look, at the moment none of us even knows if there's
a chance. That's the only reason we're not fighting like usual. All
of the promises, laws and excuses are gone. We're the closest thing
Ranko has to friends. Before we go back to killing each other and
making her miserable, why can't we stop and think about what we're
doing and why?" she pleaded.
"Dammit, Akane," Ukyo crossed her arms in chagrin.
"Well, I am right, aren't I?" Akane clasped her hands in front of
her lap.
"Shampoo not have to give up yet. No want to. Always can be friends
with Ranko, but now is only hope be more. Not fair you ask Shampoo
stop love her Airen. Not not fair!" the amazon sat down in the grass
and looked inward sadly. She pulled up a handful of grass then
watched the morning breeze blow the green blades from her open palm.
"Fine, but, what about Ranma? Do either of you plan to be friends
with her? If she can keep the past a secret and go back to being a
boy, will you eventually give up on Ranko and start chasing him?"
"Among amazon womans, Ranma woman, no matter what form. Is same
Shampoo marry Ranko or Ranma."
"Look at me, Akane," Ukyo gestured at the male clothing she
habitually wore. "I've spent so much time trying to be a boy I can't
help myself. Hell, maybe I would get a nanniichaun curse for Ranko.
If that's what it takes, do you really think I wouldn't?"
Shampoo hugged her knees and buried her face in them. "No is fair!
Amazon womans is normal no can have nanniichaun curse! Shampoo no
can be perfect Airen to Ranko!"
"Good grief! What have I started!?" Akane reeled back. "Look, guys,
I was just making a point. If every person who wanted Ranm... Ranko...
Hell, either of them! If people got cursed just so they had a hope
of getting close to them, there wouldn't be a normal guy or girl
left in Nerima!"
In the furo, the boys were making no more progress than the girls
outside. Mousse was taking advantage of Ryouga's second thoughts
about Ranma to undermine his interest in Ranko.
"Look, you've already slept with Ranma," Mousse finally pointed out.
"I heard what you were muttering last night when I led you out to
the dojo. Frankly, I am happy for you, Ryouga. I know she hurt your
feelings, but give her a break. Waking up like that? It has to give
her some doubts."
Ryouga almost blew up. Instead, he dropped into a dangerous whisper.
"Mousse, you don't know half of what you are talking about. It was
Ranko who slept with me, or a part of her, and Ranma popped in right
in the middle of it. She told me clear enough she wants to be a boy
again, that she doesn't love me. She all but pushed me over to
Ranko. So, don't even think I am going to stand aside and let you
have your way with her!"
"So, if Ranma means nothing to you, if all you care about is Ranko,
why do you flinch every time someone mentions Ranma's name?"
"Don't, Mousse. Don't go there."
"Where should I go then? What? Now that you've broken her in, you
think I should go after Ranma instead? That way you can keep Ranko's
cherry for yourself?" Mousse had to drive it in.
Ryouga roared and once more went to wring the blind martial-artist's
neck. "You just don't know when to stop, do you!" He hammered the
boy's face with the slow, powerful blows of a pile driver and all
the passion of such a machine.
Mousse croaked, trying to get out a response. Ryouga loosened his
grip slightly, daring the other boy to say something else. Mousse
obliged. "Just- just like... you don't... kn-know how to f-finish... what
you s-st-start!"
Ryouga dropped him and barked, "What?"
Mousse caught his balance and rubbed his throat. Staring the other
boy in the eye, he accused, "You didn't even know there was anyone
BUT Ranma until you got home. Yeah, sure, you called your girl
Ranko, but in your mind it was still Ranma. Even Ranko didn't know
the truth. You fell in love with someone you knew was a boy to start
with. You fell in love with Ranma. You got her in the sack, stupid,
and you think you can just walk away?"
Ryouga stared at him in confusion.
"Idiot," Mousse spat, wiping his mouth. "You're so wound up over
Ranma, you immediately jump in and play white knight for Ranko,
thinking you can escape the pain of being dumped. Let me tell you,
if plan to really love a girl, you better toughen up your heart,
because they can tear it to pieces just because THEY'RE afraid of
getting hurt."
"I don't understand..."
"Think! If she really didn't care about you, why would she hurt you
so bad you are afraid to be near her?" Mousse poked him hard in the
chest. Shaking his bruised finger, reminding himself not to do that
again, he added, "She drove you away to protect herself."
"Why?" Ryouga whined, in a sudden resurgence of pain.
"Ryouga," Mousse suddenly took pity on him. "She just learned she is
expected to become a guy again. A guy who has to kill himself if
he's found 'unmanly' by his mother. She can't afford to love you,
thinking that."
Ryouga wanted to bash his skull into something. He should have
figured that out himself. Mousse should not have had to risk his own
neck to point out what Ryouga knew damn well himself. He loved her.
Ranma. The boy he hated was the girl he loved. As soon as she
started slipping back toward being that boy, he had instantly
recovered that hate. "Damn him."
Mousse sighed. He had gotten through to Ryouga.
"That doesn't mean I'm gonna let you have your way with Ranko,"
Ryouga growled.
Mousse whimpered. Very slowly, very carefully, he explained his
exact intentions, the scheme he had cooked up to prove himself to
Shampoo. For that to work, his challenge to Ranko had to be
legitimate, and it had to be won before the council could rule over
her status, her right to claim a wife or a husband. It was a rare
opportunity that only came as the result of an amazon warrior being
reincarnated as a man. Until her gender was officially declared, it
was a way for a man and woman suiting her to obtain equal status.
Ryouga stared at the other boy. Glaring, he commented, "If you want
to have a chance with Shampoo, there's one thing you would still
need to do."
Mousse, certain he had thought of everything, demanded, "What?"
Ryouga plucked the glasses off of Mousse's face and waved them under
his nose. "You might wanna see about getting your eyes fixed.
Glomping everything in sight, and calling inanimate objects 'My
Beloved' isn't a good way to impress someone."
------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Part Thirty-Two
------------------------------------------------------------------
By: A. V. Morgan (avmorgan27@attbi.com)
A continuation of the Two Ranmas manga story arc (V35 P1-4). Sexual
humor and innuendo, nudity and violence. Consider yourself warned.
Disclaimer: Ranma Nibunnoichi, and the associated cast and concepts are
the property of Rumiko Takahashi and those publishers and distributors
to whom she has given official rights. This work, in no way intends to
infringe upon those rights. The ideas explored are those of the author,
and should not be construed to express the opinions or intentions of
the creator or associated agencies.
BOLD Emphasis
~Italics~ Thought/Flashback
*SoundFX* ^_^;
[Sign] O.O [Arrrrgh! Panda's can't TALK!]
------------------------------------------------------------------
Part Thirty-Two: A Shocking Proposition
------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Tofu had risen almost an hour before dawn and promptly tripped
over the boy, sprawled over a thin mat, sleeping on his floor. In
this fashion, Fa Shen once again became conscious of her
transformation into a boy. She barely heard Tofu's apologies as she
sat up... as HE sat up and confronted himself. He had no choice, since
he was painfully aware of the throbbing ache in his groin
distracting him from the complaints of a full bladder. Gritting his
teeth, he rose and followed the doctor into the bathroom. His mind
flashed over the previous evening, untangling itself from the
memories recently grafted into it and concentrating on what had
happened after he parted company with Mousse. He arrived at the
clinic at ten-thirty; Tofu had pointed out the time as he came in,
saying they had an hour to talk before they should go to bed. Fa
Shen had pushed aside Mousse's request and proceeded to vent his
frustration. Simply put, he was beside himself. The only thing Fa
Shen had to cushion the blow of his inadvertent sex change was the
memories that came with the new body. The problem was, they had a
tendency to make him think he was someone else. Ranma.
"Ah! That is what I feared," Dr. Tofu had replied, sadly.
"It's very strange, actually. On one hand, I remember waking up a
few hours ago as a girl here in the clinic, but now I also feel like
I crawled out of that spring months ago as a different person," Fa
Shen elaborated. He shuddered, "I've been knocked for a loop a few
times in my life, and at least once forgot who I was after fighting
my way out of a dragon's belly. I am not sure how to deal with these
memories of being Ranma."
"Well, consider the bright side at least," Tofu pointed out, leading
him into his office and offering him a chair. "Obviously, you have
gained the ability to speak Ranma's native language and you are
familiarized with the current situation and circumstances. All of
the things you did not know when you woke up are now revealed. Our
main concern is to weed out any conflicts that emerge from having
Ranma's personality in addition to your own."
"Which is sort of odd, since I got it from Ranko."
"I suspect Ranko will have many of the problems you will. Especially
if she unearths the memories she has from you. The only effective
remedy for either of you is to consider your thoughts and actions
carefully and decide if they express your true intentions," Tofu
proposed.
"Do you believe there is any danger in using these memories to help
me deal with being male?" Fa Shen asked in concern.
"I believe that any experience you have to call upon is useful. Even
bad experiences can help you be a better person. It is not uncommon
for people to draw on experiences derived through other people, or
say, characters in stories. Considering that the three of you are
embodiments of the same soul, I doubt that sharing your experiences
would be harmful. The only thing that sets you all apart is your
individual perspectives. That will be true as long as you all live."
"So, I'm not going to turn into Ranma if I do?"
"I doubt a year of being Ranma can undo a lifetime of being
yourself, Fa Shen. Certainly, this makes you different from what you
were, but only you can determine who you are. The real question, for
all of you I suspect, is really one of gender. You all have the
experience of a year of flipping from male to female several times a
day, but suddenly you are all stuck as one or the other, and," Tofu
smiled in sympathy, "at least you and Ranma are stuck as the
opposite of what you are most comfortable with."
"I am not happy about being male, nor do I like having my
personality shift towards Ranma's in order to deal with it," Fa Shen
winced in agreement.
Tofu studied him thoughtfully for a moment. Out of clinical
interest, he proceeded to point out the assets of Fa Shen's present
form and prompting his opinion on each. After twenty minutes, he
decided that Fa Shen could appreciate his new body, and even
confessed to a healthy curiosity about it. After assuring him that
it was perfectly natural for Fa Shen to explore his new condition
and satisfy his curiosity about his anatomy and physiology, Tofu
concluded, "It seems to me that you are more upset at not being
female than you are about being male. Is that correct?"
"I guess that sums it up. I like being a girl. I loved my body and I
want it back," she insisted passionately. "As soon as I can, I plan
to visit my grave and get it back."
"So, you only need to get by as a boy temporarily. Even Ranma was
able to cope with being a girl for a month here or there, when he
could not change back for one reason or another."
"Are you sure that's not because he was really Ranko?"
"At the time, there was no difference," Tofu shrugged. Rather than
drift into discussing Ranko, Tofu proceeded to introduce Fa Shen to
the practical aspects of being male, starting with a brief
examination and then a trip to the bathroom to cover various aspects
of hygiene. Once he was sure Fa Shen could cope with going to the
bathroom, he excused himself, leaving the boy in the bathroom alone
with the suggestion that there might be things Fa Shen wished to
explore in private. This served to remind Fa Shen that "Ranma" had
indulged his curiosity about becoming female, without prompting, the
first time "she" bathed. Fa Shen never had the luxury of remaining
ignorant of sex in his former life. She had demanded answers as soon
as she had been confronted by boys and men interested in defeating
her for the purpose of marriage. What she had learned had a great
deal to do with her aversion to males from that point on. Alone in
the bathroom, Fa Shen was forced to admit that, while she never
wanted a man to force himself on her, it did not mean she had not
been curious about men. It was simply ironic that she had to be one
before he was able to indulge her curiosity.
A half hour of experimentation, however, had not revealed all the
mysteries of manhood, as Fa Shen discovered in the morning. His rush
to relieve himself was interrupted when he dropped his pants and
discovered his penis proudly straining upward, fully engorged. A
small cry of shock escaped his lips, followed by a groan of
frustration. "What the hell is wrong with this thing!?"
Dr. Tofu heard the complaint and poked his head out of the shower.
"Are you having some difficulty?"
Fa Shen turned around to face him and gestured helplessly, flushing
with embarrassment, "I can't go to the bathroom like this! Not
unless I stand on my hands! And, before you say anything, this is
NOT my fault! I was NOT playing with it! I just want to pee!"
Dr. Tofu suppressed the urge to laugh, and shook his head at the
boy's chagrin. The poor thing looked ready to cry in frustration.
"Relax, Fa Shen. The thought never even occurred to me. That is,
erm," he flushed faintly. "This is actually a normal occurrence for
men. Sleep can induce a mild state of arousal. Complicated by a full
bladder, you can become fully erect. That, ah, condition pinches off
the connection between the bladder and the urethra."
"What am I supposed to do!? I really gotta go!" Fa Shen began to
exhibit traces of Ranma as the dilemma taxed the boy's feminine
psyche.
Tofu sighed and gestured haphazardly, "Just... push it down. It's not
a rock, Fa Shen. Even like that it's, ah, rather flexible. Just make
sure you have it aimed correctly before you cut loose." The doctor
retreated into the shower, and did his damnedest not to burst out
laughing. One did not become a physician without some sense of
physical humor, but nothing could prepare a man for helping a girl-
turned-boy master the art of peeing while standing up.
Fa Shen considered the instructions and timidly brought his hands
forward. With his thumb and forefinger, he proceeded to "aim" for
the toilet bowl, wincing at the discomfort caused by bending the
swollen organ. The previous evening, he had learned how to relax and
let gravity take over. After several minutes, he decided he could
sooner thread a needle with winter mittens on. Applying a little
effort, he felt a slight obstruction give and hastily corrected his
aim as urine shot out under intense pressure. A few moments later,
he was wondering when he drank the contents of a lake. Eventually,
the ordeal was over. He remembered to shake before putting himself
away, and flushed the toilet in relief. The final remark, "What!?
Oh, now you go all soft again!? Gyaaaaaah!!" was too much for Tofu.
He roared with laughter as Fa Shen raced out of the bathroom.
In something of a temper, Fa Shen made his way down stairs into the
clinic. It would have been simpler to slip into the memories and let
that persona deal with the quirks of manhood, but he had been too
proud to take the easy route. He refused to admit that being male
intimidated him. That approach had worked the night before, and the
results had been pleasant, if ultimately messy and shocking. He had
to check his memories to establish that the consequences were
normal, but at least he had resorted to it after the fact. Shaking
his head, he wandered into the waiting room, choosing to avoid the
area where Happosai had slept the night in the examination room, and
settled down on a couch. Until he could return to the dojo and find
out what had happened when Ranma returned home, he would stay out of
the doctor's way. He was quickly lost in though, passing the time by
thinking through what had happened and what still had to be done.
Sometime later, his brooding was interrupted by a tapping on the
clinic's glass front door. Rousing himself, he peeked out the window
and saw Ranma. It had to be Ranma, since last he saw, Ranko could
barely move. Bounding over to the door, he unlocked it and invited
her in.
"Ranma? It is you, isn't it?"
"Yeah. And you're Fa Shen. They told me about you last night."
"Do you...?"
"I remember meeting you in the dream," Ranma anticipated the
question. She studied him in faint shock, and shook her head. "Even
with the memories, it's too weird seein' you in my body."
"No argument there!" Fa Shen laughed. Leading the girl over to the
couch, he flopped down and asked, "So, if you're here, does that
mean it's safe to go back to the dojo?"
"No. I don't know. I was up before everyone else, and I came over
here sort of on impulse," Ranma replied.
"That explains why you are still in your pajamas." Fa Shen grinned.
Ranma blinked and looked down at herself. Slapping her forehead, she
sighed. She had been in such a hurry to get away from Mousse, she
had forgotten she was dressed in the pajamas Nodoka had picked out
for her last night. "Stupid. I'm used to sleeping in my clothes."
"You're resisting the memories?" Fa Shen probed. He watched as the
girl shrugged and moved to the opposite couch and sat down cross-
legged.
"No point fightin' them, but I keep disconnecting at odd moments."
Ranma propped her hands on her crossed ankles and straightened her
spine.
Fa Shen nodded. "They're useful, but... they're not really me, either.
So, if you rushed over here on impulse, you must have something you
want to tell me," he suggested, shifting into a similar pose.
"A lot of things, actually. Mousse challenged Ranko to a marriage
duel last night, and I discovered a way to heal her. Mousse caught
on and pushed me to get your help healing her. He asked me to help
train him to beat Ranko, too," she sighed, biting her lip and
averting her eyes.
Fa Shen sensed there was more than she was saying at that. Clearing
his throat, he confided, "Actually, Mousse told me his plan. He
asked for my 'blessings' and asked me to help him also. I did not
think he would actually challenge her until I gave him an answer."
"He might not have. I get the idea, from what Cologne said, that my
idea for getting us all back to Jusenkyo set him off." Ranma quickly
outlined the plan to use the compact to ferry everyone to China, via
Mousse Air. "He wants to have a claim to her before she gets
anywhere near the amazon council."
"Ah. That makes sense." Fa Shen frowned hard at the girl. "There's
something bothering you. Something you're not telling me," he
accused gently.
Ranma flushed deeply. "I don't know how to tell you. It, ah... has to
do with healing Ranko. What it takes to heal her."
"Is there a problem? Will it endanger her?" Fa Shen worried.
"It might freak her out, but she doesn't need to know about it. No
one does. I discovered a way to recharge her ki, but I can't do it
alone, and... well, she uses ki from both of us, so... you're sorta the
only person who can help me," Ranko was skirting around the point,
unable to say it straight out.
"I don't understand. I mean, sure, I'll help you. Just teach me what
to do and I'll be happy to donate my ki too!" Fa Shen smiled,
delighted to hear that there was something he could actually do to
help Ranko. It was something he had resumed worrying about when he
came down from Tofu's apartment.
"Yeah, well. Thing is, you DON'T understand, and I don't want you to
freak out," Ranma hunched, still refusing to meet Fa Shen's eyes.
This evasiveness fully roused Fa Shen's suspicions. Ranma was
implying that, while there was a cure for Ranko, something they
could do, Fa Shen was not going to like it. In a careful voice, he
declared, "I am not sure if you can understand this, but Ranko is
sort of like a daughter to me, Ranma. On a spiritual level, she's
like our child. I'm not going to leave her in that condition if
there's anything I can do about it. So, stop beating around the bush
and just tell me, exactly, what we have to do to cure her."
Ranma cringed and took a deep breath. "Last night, when I got home
and talked to Ranko, she noticed that I transferred some ki to her
when I touched her. Somehow, something I had done had generated or
freed up some loose ki," Ranko began, building up to it. "I had an
idea what might have caused it. There was something, uh... I woke up
in the middle of something the other Ranko started. The only way to
check if it had something to do with that was to check Ryouga, since
he had been... he did it too. When I learned that he had the same kind
of loose ki built up, I knew what generated it."
Fa Shen frowned. From her acquired memories, Ranma and Ryouga tended
to fight, but last night "Ranko" and Ryouga had been on a date. Her
own expertise in the area of manipulating ki, or rather the studies
she undertook to master it, suggested only one sort of activity that
could result in what Ranma was describing. "You had sex with
Ryouga," he droned in flat shock.
Ranma nodded. "It was happening as I woke up. I was too... ah... blown
away to even think until way after it was over. It wasn't me... I..."
she shuddered and her head bowed to her chest.
Fa Shen blinked and stared. "You're saying we have to have sex to
heal Ranko." The boy gulped as Ranma nodded faintly. Half of his
mind was whirling in absolute shock that either of them should have
awakened in such a compromising position. Worse, he had been wishing
all night long that they had woken up in the opposite bodies. If Fa
Shen's wish had been granted, it would have been HER confronted with
that awakening! Without thinking, he flowed over to Ranma and pulled
her into a sympathetic embrace. Fa Shen would have reached out to
any girl who had been taken that way unawares, but if she was also a
boy in her own mind!? "Oh, Ranma...!" he moaned in sympathy.
"Gyaaaaa! Not this very minute!!!" Ranma pounded Fa Shen hard in the
chest, sending him flying across the room. She stood up in terror,
panting, unable to believe the news would provoke such an amorous
response.
Fa Shen righted himself and glared across the waiting room. "You
idiot! I was trying to console you! You think I wanted to...!?" Fa
Shen almost gagged.
"Jeez! First you say, 'we have to have sex...' then you jump on me and
start moaning my name!? What was I supposed to think!" Ranma
shouted, face scarlet with fury and embarrassment.
>From the door, Dr. Tofu cleared his throat and asked, "I am afraid I
missed something. WHY is it the two of you need to have sex?" He
hoped he could get an explanation of this very surprising
development without seeing his clinic destroyed in the process.
Ranma and Fa Shen turned to him, all color drained out of their
shocked faces, and then keeled over unconscious.
-------------------------
Nodoka had returned from the bathroom, where she had proudly
displayed the brilliant restoration of her natural hair color to
Ranko and Kasumi, before Cologne could explain her pronouncement.
Confronted with Nodoka's own questions at this sudden miracle,
pleading for an explanation of how the "blessed" water could have
affected her, Cologne begged for a moment to reflect. As she worked
out in her head how to reveal what she had discovered, people
awakened by Nodoka's rush through the house, exclaiming the miracle,
had filtered into the Tea Room in confusion. Ryouga, surprised by
Nodoka while trying to find his way out of the closet under the
stairs, was the first to arrive--still in plaintive search of the
bathroom. Shampoo soon followed, trailed by Nabiki, Ukyo, Soun, and
Genma--still in panda form and looking shell shocked. The last to
arrive were the damp and hastily dressed Ranko and Kasumi. Seeing
her oldest sister struggling to half carry Ranko in to the table,
Akane rushed over to help. With each arrival, the volume of querying
voices rose until Cologne finally shouted for silence.
"Now that everyone is present, I suppose I can explain what has
happened to Nodoka. With your permission, of course," she deferred
to the matriarch of the Saotome Clan. Nodoka nodded eagerly. Cologne
took a deep breath and proceeded to tell the history of Togenkyo and
the powers of the water naturally distilled from the Great Tree that
was the backbone of the floating island. "Hundreds of years ago, the
island kingdom drifted along the coasts of China and word of the
water's power to transform animals into men and cause the women who
ingested it to bear only sons spread through the mainland. For many,
the water was sought to ensure the birth of suitable male heirs, but
the enemies of the Jokezoku saw this as a way to destroy us from
within.
"Initially, we were caught unaware," Cologne frowned, recalling the
seeming tragedy she had witnessed. "While strange, there seemed no
reason to suspect foul play was responsible for the birth of only
male children for an entire generation. It was never uncommon for us
to bring in strong women from outside to sustain our ranks. We
suspected nothing until a foe used the water against a full grown
warrior and turned her into a man.
"Once other explanations were ruled out, and it was established that
it was the water of Togenkyo that was responsible, we devoted our
resources to developing a cure or antidote to restore that woman to
normal. In a few years, we succeeded," Cologne smiled, indicating
the bottle before her on the table. "This antidote could reverse the
transformation, and we learned of a taint that marked those who had
been exposed to Togenkyo water. In most cases, the taint was
revealed by a change of hair color in both the mother and the child.
This allowed us to restore all of the boys born in the new
generation who had been conceived as girls."
Nodoka blinked and once again studied her hair. "Does this mean...?"
Cologne turned to Nodoka, and gave her an odd smile. "It seems that
even in this day and age, there are those who will do anything for a
son. I know this might be difficult for you to face, but there is an
even chance that your son should have been your daughter."
"Oh! No! How could this have happened!?" Nodoka cried.
Cologne sighed and glanced over at Genma briefly. "If you were not
aware of taking any special measures to birth a son, perhaps you
need to speak to your husband. Or perhaps his Master."
Akane stared at Ranko and gulped, "But..."
Nabiki spoke right over her, laughing, "You mean, Ranma might
actually be a girl!?" She gave Ranko an ear-tickling grin and
winked, before rolling over in gut-wrenching hysterics.
Soun blinked slowly, several times before turning to Nodoka. "I
hesitate to ask, Nodoka, but... if Ranma IS in fact a girl..." he
blanched, "Is he still bound by your contract with Genma?"
Nodoka was just staring at the bottle in shock. Genma was even more
arrested. Neither breathing or moving, the panda held one paw to its
heart, waiting for it to beat again. Finally Nodoka ground her head
around to look at Cologne. "Is such a thing even possible!?" she
demanded in a small voice. Cologne nodded gravely, trying not to
look at Ranko.
Ranko herself was staring at the bottle, putting things together in
her head, and striving not to pass out. Without a word, she lay back
and covered her face. Not surprisingly, her movement caught Nodoka's
attention.
"Are you alright, Ranko?" Nodoka asked in immediate concern,
grateful for the distraction. As she moved to the girl's side, Ukyo
and Shampoo exchanged glances, looked at Ranko, and then silently
rose and walked out through the open shoji into the back yard. A
moment later, Akane jumped up and followed them out. Mousse, now
fully aware of what had happened, what might now happen, grabbed
Ryouga and dragged him off to the bathroom. Nodoka gave a confused
look at the sudden exodus of young people and returned her gaze to
Ranko, still waiting for an answer. "Ranko?"
"'M fine," she finally breathed. "I feel a little dizzy though..."
Nodoka repositioned herself at the girl's side and suddenly realized
something. "Wait. You... this was the medicine you used on Ranko?" she
turned to meet Cologne's eye. Cologne kept her eyes level but said
nothing. Nodoka frowned, "Was- was it the correct medicine? Why did
Ranko need an antidote for water that turns things male?"
Cologne saw only the slimmest way out of telling the actual truth.
Like any good lie, part of the truth would suffice. "I was not aware
of such a need. It is purely a coincidence that it was beneficial in
her case," Cologne admitted.
Nodoka felt an ache begin at the back of her eyes and quickly
pinched the bridge of her nose. When her vision cleared, she looked
down at Ranko, who had moved her hand to stare up at her. For the
thousandth time, she was struck by how similar she was in appearance
to Nodoka herself at the same age. For the first time, she was
capable of drawing the obvious conclusion. With her eyes suddenly as
wide as saucers, she gasped. "Oh! No! It can't be!" she moaned,
tentatively reaching down and taking the girl's face in her hands.
"A-are y-you... Are you my s-son?" she begged in a horrified whisper.
Ranko could not look away. Her head was in a firm grip, her mother's
face lowered to the point where she could not effectively look away.
In the background, Genma finally keeled over unconscious with a
resounding boom. Unwilling to close her eyes, Ranko licked her lips
and... smiled in sudden relief. "No. I am not Ranma," she stated
clearly and honestly. Taking a deep breath, she added, "I've had
days when I thought other wise, but that was an effect of the
curse."
Nodoka sagged, unintentionally resting her forehead on Ranko's.
"Dear Ranko, forgive me. It's just... you... From the look of you, you
really could be my daughter. With what I just heard..." she pulled the
pair of them back up and hugged Ranko, unable to complete her
sentence.
"That's okay, M- Mrs. Saotome. I understand," Ranko hugged back
limply. Even though she had dissociated herself from Ranma, there
was enough of him in her for her to nearly panic under these
circumstances. When Nodoka held her back and looked into her eyes
again, Ranko had to ask, "Not to be rude or anything, but... if I had
been Ranma..." She bit her lip and then forced herself to continue,
"Would you have made me do it?"
Nodoka looked puzzled for a moment. She heard a strangled sound from
Nabiki and glanced over to see Cologne pantomiming seppuku to
illustrate Ranko's question. Nodoka's eyes widened in instant
comprehension, and she snapped back to look at Ranko. Instead of
saying the first thing that came to mind, she composed herself.
Reminding herself sternly that there was a reason, above and beyond
the contract, why it was necessary for her to have a true son, she
took a more aggressive approach. "Are you asking to satisfy
curiosity, or is this another attempt to protect my son?"
Ranko winced and bit her lip. Carefully, she pointed out, "I heard
what Cologne said. I wouldn't want to see Ranma die just because he
turned out to be a girl, especially if it's not his fault.
Especially," she emphasized, "if that's what he was supposed to be
in the first place!"
"You don't understand..." Nodoka began.
"What's to understand!?" Ranko cried, long held anger over the
contract overcoming the shock of Cologne's latest revelation. "Male
or female, he's still your child! How could you ever hold something
like this over his head!?" Ranko roared, growing red in the face.
"Why are you so angry?" Nodoka flinched back, honestly confused.
"Why is it so important for Ranma to be a man!?"
"It- That... It's supposed to be, 'Man-Among-Men'," Nodoka corrected
automatically. Then she scowled and shot back, "And, as far as that
stupid contract goes, that was not my idea! Genma, my husband, wrote
that contract, and badly at that, to guarantee he would not violate
my promise to my father, to bear and raise a true man! A man who
could..." she cut herself off. That was not to be spoken of.
"Could what?" Cologne gently prodded.
Nodoka turned on her and almost shouted, before composing herself
once more. "That is a private matter, and it only applies to Ranma
if he lives up to his potential as a man."
"What kind of man? What does Man-Among-Men mean, if I may ask. As an
amazon, I am afraid the concept is rather foreign to me," Cologne
maintained, unflinching.
Nodoka pulled herself up and stated, firmly, "A true man can be
recognized by many traits, but he does not possess them through
acquisition. A true man does not strive to measure up, but to
surpass measure, and so it would be an error to name his
expectations. To attempt to define him is to deny him the most
important trait, that being for him to define himself. To call him a
Man-Among-Men is to say that he is recognized by his peers, for he
stands out even among his own kind. If there is a virtue that
defines manhood, he exemplifies it."
Cologne smiled evenly, "Indeed, that is an impressive standard. One
I am well familiar with, as it is the same standard upheld by the
amazons, though we do not regard these virtues the exclusive
property of men."
"I suppose you are missing the point," Nodoka sighed. "While I
believe women should aspire to equal heights, when possible, what
woman can embody the qualities of a man? How could my son, if he
were to be revealed as a woman?"
"In which case, he should simply die?"
Nodoka crumpled. In a tired voice, she rattled, "In such a case it
becomes apparent that I failed from the very start. The whole
agreement presupposes that he is a man. If he is otherwise, really a
woman in men's clothing, it would not be possible for him to achieve
his destiny. The contract can only be valid if he is male. I would
have thought being born that way sufficient, but if a glass of water
can strip him of that, I cannot see it as a failure of upbringing.
If anything it is a misconception in the most literal sense!"
Ranko interrupted, in an agonized voice. "Even if he is a true man
at heart?" She looked into her mother's eyes. It was so difficult
not to hear this as Ranma, but at the same time, looking back on her
own awakening and the decision she made to be female, for all she
was as inclined to be male, she understood something of what Nodoka
meant. Still, knowing Ranma as well as she did, she had to speak up
for him.
Nodoka sighed. "That would depend. He cannot be aware of what we
have learned here today. He has lived his life, a boy aspiring to be
a man, and if that is never brought into question, and he is proven
to be a young man of stature and nobility--a Man-Among-Men--then I
may grant him his birthright and fulfill my promise to my father. If
instead, he is revealed to be a woman, that birthright must pass on
to 'her' son, and so on, until it is fulfilled."
There was a round of silence.
"What?" Ranko quailed.
"If Ranma literally is not a man, if he is my daughter, then my
obligation must pass on to her," Nodoka explained. Taking a deep
breath, "I would have to find her a suitable husband, and no doubt
teach her everything she missed because she was raised as a boy."
"Why?"
"It is a debt I carry, and which any daughter of my line must carry
until it is repaid," Nodoka stated succinctly. "I can say no more on
this."
-------------------------
Outside the Tendo home, and in the furo, two heated conversations
were taking place. Certain similarities predominated. As Akane
enlightened Ukyo and Shampoo about what had happened that morning
and the ultimate cause and consequence, Mousse was endeavoring to
relate the same details to Ryouga. The simplest details, confirmed
by the shift in Nodoka's hair color and Ranko's continued existence
after a hot bath, proved that Ranko was now, entirely, a girl. The
question however, was, since she got that body from Ranma, did that
mean Ranma was supposed to be a girl? As far as the amazons, and
Ryouga were concerned, it was a strong argument. Among the amazons,
because of the abuse of Togenkyo water, it was established that the
gender of a child was that determined upon conception. Ryouga did
not have any such excuse, just the vivid memory of the previous
night. Since none of these five had listened to the rest of the
discussion with Nodoka, they had no idea what the outcome of Ranma
being exposed at this point would be.
"I think it's best that Ranma stays Ranneko for now," Akane
declared.
"Shampoo agree, is best," nodded the purple head.
"I don't believe it! After all of this, the person I'm engaged to is
a girl!" Ukyo wanted to strangle something. Instead she sighed,
"Well, this really eliminates the differences between Ranma and
Ranko. No engagement can hold up if the truth comes out about Ranma.
I don't see any reason not to continue pursuing Ranko just because
she's stuck as a girl."
"Shampoo so confused, not know if Ranko even want be boy again, but
still love. Shampoo want castrate Mousse for trying take Ranko!" she
growled.
"So, it doesn't bother either of you that Ranko is...? Well, she's a
girl. Even if she gets a guy curse like Ranma's supposed to get,
she's not going to ever give up her girl side. And you both still
want her?" Akane challenged, plaintively.
"Is any different for Kitchen Destroyer?"
"Well, I don't know," Akane frowned. Did loving a girl make, well,
loving her alright? She shook her head. "I'm just sort of confused.
I sort of feel like I'd have to get cursed to be a guy too, if I
wanted to be with her."
The other girls stared at her.
"I think maybe you're taking things a bit too far, sugar," Ukyo
crooned.
"I didn't say I wanted to!" Akane fumed. She fell back into
uncertainty. "It has more to do with being fair, or balanced. I
mean, you're both talking like you want to marry her. Can you DO
that if you're both girls!?"
That stumped her rivals.
"Is can happen in amazon tribe," Shampoo said meekly.
"Is that what she wants?" Akane retorted weakly.
"Akane, if you don't want that kind of relationship, no one is going
to think less of you for letting Ranko go. Hell, most people around
here will expect it. Whatever your problem is, don't criticize us
for following our hearts," Ukyo shook the other girl lightly.
Akane huffed. "Look, at the moment none of us even knows if there's
a chance. That's the only reason we're not fighting like usual. All
of the promises, laws and excuses are gone. We're the closest thing
Ranko has to friends. Before we go back to killing each other and
making her miserable, why can't we stop and think about what we're
doing and why?" she pleaded.
"Dammit, Akane," Ukyo crossed her arms in chagrin.
"Well, I am right, aren't I?" Akane clasped her hands in front of
her lap.
"Shampoo not have to give up yet. No want to. Always can be friends
with Ranko, but now is only hope be more. Not fair you ask Shampoo
stop love her Airen. Not not fair!" the amazon sat down in the grass
and looked inward sadly. She pulled up a handful of grass then
watched the morning breeze blow the green blades from her open palm.
"Fine, but, what about Ranma? Do either of you plan to be friends
with her? If she can keep the past a secret and go back to being a
boy, will you eventually give up on Ranko and start chasing him?"
"Among amazon womans, Ranma woman, no matter what form. Is same
Shampoo marry Ranko or Ranma."
"Look at me, Akane," Ukyo gestured at the male clothing she
habitually wore. "I've spent so much time trying to be a boy I can't
help myself. Hell, maybe I would get a nanniichaun curse for Ranko.
If that's what it takes, do you really think I wouldn't?"
Shampoo hugged her knees and buried her face in them. "No is fair!
Amazon womans is normal no can have nanniichaun curse! Shampoo no
can be perfect Airen to Ranko!"
"Good grief! What have I started!?" Akane reeled back. "Look, guys,
I was just making a point. If every person who wanted Ranm... Ranko...
Hell, either of them! If people got cursed just so they had a hope
of getting close to them, there wouldn't be a normal guy or girl
left in Nerima!"
In the furo, the boys were making no more progress than the girls
outside. Mousse was taking advantage of Ryouga's second thoughts
about Ranma to undermine his interest in Ranko.
"Look, you've already slept with Ranma," Mousse finally pointed out.
"I heard what you were muttering last night when I led you out to
the dojo. Frankly, I am happy for you, Ryouga. I know she hurt your
feelings, but give her a break. Waking up like that? It has to give
her some doubts."
Ryouga almost blew up. Instead, he dropped into a dangerous whisper.
"Mousse, you don't know half of what you are talking about. It was
Ranko who slept with me, or a part of her, and Ranma popped in right
in the middle of it. She told me clear enough she wants to be a boy
again, that she doesn't love me. She all but pushed me over to
Ranko. So, don't even think I am going to stand aside and let you
have your way with her!"
"So, if Ranma means nothing to you, if all you care about is Ranko,
why do you flinch every time someone mentions Ranma's name?"
"Don't, Mousse. Don't go there."
"Where should I go then? What? Now that you've broken her in, you
think I should go after Ranma instead? That way you can keep Ranko's
cherry for yourself?" Mousse had to drive it in.
Ryouga roared and once more went to wring the blind martial-artist's
neck. "You just don't know when to stop, do you!" He hammered the
boy's face with the slow, powerful blows of a pile driver and all
the passion of such a machine.
Mousse croaked, trying to get out a response. Ryouga loosened his
grip slightly, daring the other boy to say something else. Mousse
obliged. "Just- just like... you don't... kn-know how to f-finish... what
you s-st-start!"
Ryouga dropped him and barked, "What?"
Mousse caught his balance and rubbed his throat. Staring the other
boy in the eye, he accused, "You didn't even know there was anyone
BUT Ranma until you got home. Yeah, sure, you called your girl
Ranko, but in your mind it was still Ranma. Even Ranko didn't know
the truth. You fell in love with someone you knew was a boy to start
with. You fell in love with Ranma. You got her in the sack, stupid,
and you think you can just walk away?"
Ryouga stared at him in confusion.
"Idiot," Mousse spat, wiping his mouth. "You're so wound up over
Ranma, you immediately jump in and play white knight for Ranko,
thinking you can escape the pain of being dumped. Let me tell you,
if plan to really love a girl, you better toughen up your heart,
because they can tear it to pieces just because THEY'RE afraid of
getting hurt."
"I don't understand..."
"Think! If she really didn't care about you, why would she hurt you
so bad you are afraid to be near her?" Mousse poked him hard in the
chest. Shaking his bruised finger, reminding himself not to do that
again, he added, "She drove you away to protect herself."
"Why?" Ryouga whined, in a sudden resurgence of pain.
"Ryouga," Mousse suddenly took pity on him. "She just learned she is
expected to become a guy again. A guy who has to kill himself if
he's found 'unmanly' by his mother. She can't afford to love you,
thinking that."
Ryouga wanted to bash his skull into something. He should have
figured that out himself. Mousse should not have had to risk his own
neck to point out what Ryouga knew damn well himself. He loved her.
Ranma. The boy he hated was the girl he loved. As soon as she
started slipping back toward being that boy, he had instantly
recovered that hate. "Damn him."
Mousse sighed. He had gotten through to Ryouga.
"That doesn't mean I'm gonna let you have your way with Ranko,"
Ryouga growled.
Mousse whimpered. Very slowly, very carefully, he explained his
exact intentions, the scheme he had cooked up to prove himself to
Shampoo. For that to work, his challenge to Ranko had to be
legitimate, and it had to be won before the council could rule over
her status, her right to claim a wife or a husband. It was a rare
opportunity that only came as the result of an amazon warrior being
reincarnated as a man. Until her gender was officially declared, it
was a way for a man and woman suiting her to obtain equal status.
Ryouga stared at the other boy. Glaring, he commented, "If you want
to have a chance with Shampoo, there's one thing you would still
need to do."
Mousse, certain he had thought of everything, demanded, "What?"
Ryouga plucked the glasses off of Mousse's face and waved them under
his nose. "You might wanna see about getting your eyes fixed.
Glomping everything in sight, and calling inanimate objects 'My
Beloved' isn't a good way to impress someone."
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End of Part Thirty-Two
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