Alex V Morgan
21st December 2002, 01:29 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-Three: Cures and Confrontations
------------------------------------------------------------------
In light of Nodoka's response to Cologne's probing, it seemed
obvious that if Ranma's identity were revealed in her current form
she would be doomed to spend the rest of her life as a woman. With a
minimum of encouragement, Kasumi was left to keep Nodoka distracted
helping make breakfast while Nabiki rounded up all of the teens and
assembled them in the dojo to bring them up to speed. Genma was
revived by Soun and rushed into the training hall as well, since the
panda had been unconscious through much of the morning scene. There
was a little debate about finding Ranma and Fa Shen and having them
hear this too, but no one knew where they were. Or rather, Mousse
decided not to inform everyone that Fa Shen slept at Dr. Tofu's and
Ranma had gone over to discuss some sexual healing. He could just
imagine the chaos if someone interrupted that particular
conversation! However, before the father's could bring the meeting
to order, Ranko pounced--or angrily flopped--on Cologne, demanding
an explanation of her own condition.
"You used that antidote stuff on me instead of Chisuiiton water!?"
she shouted. "How could that lock my curse!? What's going on!?"
"Calm down, child," Cologne begged. With her staff, she pushed the
half limp girl onto her rear and arranged her limbs so she could
balance herself sitting upright, Indian fashion. "I thought I
dropped enough details for you to figure this out for yourself. It
was not easy to explain without completely tipping your mother off."
"Geez, Ranko. You honestly haven't figured it out?" Nabiki jabbed.
"What's to figure out!? It sounds like Pops doped Mom to get a son!"
she cried, glaring at Genma. "What do you have to say for yourself,
Old Man!?"
Genma reached for a sign and proceeded to write in an even more
unsteady scrawl than normal. Akane picked up the kettle Soun had
brought in and dumped hot water over the panda's head, scowling.
"Try being a man for once in your life!" she grated menacingly.
Genma swallowed and went into classic Saotome denial gestures, "Now,
wait. It's not my fault..." Blows rained down as Ryouga, Shampoo, Ukyo
and Akane demonstrated the effectiveness of their trademark blunt
instruments. Genma crawled out from under the pile of mallet, giant
spatula, mallet and umbrella and started again. "Don't any of you
know how to show your elders some respect!?" he shouted. A wall of
narrow eyes and hefted weapons stared him down. Sagging, he
continued, "I will admit as much as expressing my desire to have a
son to my old Master, Happosai..." There was a collective groan, as he
confirmed the worst. "Please, try to understand. Nodoka and I were
married around the same time Soun wed his beloved wife. He was
already the proud father of two beautiful daughters and my greatest
concern was that Nodoka might be barren and our dream of uniting the
two schools would never come to pass," he protested, eyes tearing
dramatically.
"Spare us the sob story, Pops! Get to the point!"
"Very well, 'Boy'!" he huffed at his "daughter". "I will say now
that the first I ever heard of Togenkyo water was our recent
adventure with Prince Toma. That said, my master gave me a flask of
water and instructed me to administer three drops a day in Nodoka's
food or drink, for a month. She would then be ready to produce a
son. He warned me that the water contained a powerful medicine; any
more than the prescribed amount could endanger Nodoka's health, and
I was careful to follow the instructions exactly. As promised,
Nodoka became pregnant a month later and eventually gave birth to my
son."
"Too bad that was the only time you ever followed instructions,"
Ranko muttered bitterly. She looked down at herself and cleared her
throat. "This is the body that Ranma was born in. Since I didn't die
in the bath, I suppose that means... What exactly? I mean, even if the
antidote worked, I was a girl when you used it. How did it block the
curse?"
Cologne took a deep breath and perched on her staff again. "There
was one detail I left out, because of Nodoka. A few of the girls
restored by the antidote had the misfortune, as boys, to become
cursed. When the antidote restored their natural forms, the curses
disappeared. As these were animal curses, no one expected such a
thing to happen. However," Cologne paused dramatically. Seeing she
had everyone's full attention, she continued, "One of the things
that made it possible to cure the Togenkyo transformation, which
seemed permanent, was the fact that it masked the true form of it's
subject and did not use her ki in the transformation. Like most
antidotes, the cure is in the poison, so the cure uses the same
magic to unmask the subject's true form. Now, it seems that a
Jusenkyo curse is rooted in the form of the victim. When those
'boys' were cursed, the curse attached itself to the mask. Once the
mask was removed, the curse went with it."
Ranko looked at herself again. "Wait. This is Ranma's true form?
How? It's exactly the same as the cursed form!" she cried. Then she
did a double take, "Wait. This means... I am cured?"
Cologne hummed thoughtfully. "It is true, you are now just a normal
girl. No boy mask, no curse. As for why you have the same form as Fa
Shen," she shrugged. "Some souls have a preference for a certain
appearance, so it is not unusual to see them reincarnated identical
to their former selves. How it happened in this case, I have only
one conjecture. It has been noted that victims strongly marked by Fa
Shen in the nyanniichaun tended to produce offspring with the same
features. From that, and some things your mother said, I would guess
that your mother is descended from, or perhaps even is, one of those
victims."
Ranko boggled. More than once, the resemblance of Ranko to Nodoka at
the same age had been mentioned. Now that Nodoka's hair was revealed
to be the same brilliant crimson, the resemblance was only stronger.
Shaking her head, she mused, "I doubt Mom was cursed. She would have
suspected the truth right away if she had been. Still... Her mom?"
Ranko shrugged. Having learned that her mother's parents were dead,
there was no way to find out.
Cologne waved the question off, for the same reason. "We cannot
know. What we do know, however, is that this is good news for you,
Ranko!" she smiled finally. Ranko decided she had gotten used to
Cologne. She didn't flinch from the terrifying grimace the
expression produced on her shrunken, wrinkled head. Ranko, like the
others, scratched her head and exchanged random glances, unable to
see how there was an upside to this discovery, so Cologne just
rolled her eyes and voiced it, unprompted. "You're taking all the
fun out of being a wise old woman! Ranko. Your curse was the last
tie to the Mirror of Broken Souls."
This stunned the crowd.
"Congratulations, Ranko! You survived it!" Akane was the first to
get it.
"It... it's over?" Ranko blinked in disbelief.
"I knew you could do it, sugar!" Ukyo pushed forward to hug her.
"Shampoo so so glad for Ranko!" she delivered with a full body
glomp.
"Old Woman! Are you certain of this!?" Genma demanded. At Cologne's
nod, Genma turned to hug Soun. "Do you hear that old friend? We can
go to Jusenkyo at once! It is safe to travel!"
"This is wonderful news, Saotome-kun! I am so happy for you! And,
once Ranma is back to normal, we can return home and celebrate with
a big wedding!" the Tendo patriarch cried out, showering tears over
the crowd. With a collective shout, the group darted out of range of
the waterworks muttering. Even though the dousing was harmless,
Ranko sighed her thanks to Shampoo and Ukyo for swiftly dragging her
out of the spray.
"Um...!" Akane blurted out. "What if Ranma... er... wants to remain a
girl?" she asked in a voice that grew more timid as eyes fixed on
her.
"What is this? What can you mean, Akane?" Soun bawled.
"Well, we did just learn he was supposed to be a she..." Akane
fidgeted. "Doesn't that mean... well, doesn't that give her a choice?"
As she was saying this, she was looking at Ryouga. Call it women's
intuition, but she had the feeling that something might have been
started between those two. The odd way Ranma had blushed and
stammered over the oddest things, after returning from her date...
Even if the real Ranma had woken up in the middle of it, he had
obviously slipped under the influence of the memories he had gotten.
"Why would my son want to be a girl!?" Genma growled.
Akane cringed. "For one thing, his mother won't force him to kill
himself if he really is a she."
Nabiki barked a short laugh, "Come on, Akane! Are you sure you
aren't just saying that to get out of the engagement?" That was
enough to cause both fathers to instantly ignore Akane's input. To
everyone's surprise, however, Ukyo suddenly spoke up.
"You know, Akane is right. I'm not saying we should push him to be a
girl, but, doesn't he deserve to know he has a choice? I mean, if
you keep this a secret, give him a male curse and lock him in it,
and he finds out later... I mean, it's as bad as lying to Nodoka all
this time!" she marched up and got in Genma's face. "Is that your
notion of honor, Genma!? Lie to your wife, lie to your son, lie to
everyone around you so you get what you want and no one holds you
responsible!?" Ukyo was shaking in subdued anger. It was never far
from her mind that it was Genma who was truly responsible for
screwing up her life.
Genma scowled. "What would a little girl like you know about honor?
Look at you, dressing like a man, running away from your own family...
You don't even know your own place, so don't think you can put me in
mine," he foolishly wasted his week's allowance of spine in a
retaliatory effort to shame the unwanted fiancée.
Ukyo snarled, her vision going red, and whipped her knee into
Genma's groin with all the strength she possessed. Staring down at
him, after he curled over and dropped to his side, she spat, "Is
that womanly enough for you!? Since you cost me my womanhood, maybe
I should return the favor, huh?"
Genma whimpered and tried to squirm away from her.
"Oh, yeah. He definitely had that coming," the other teens noted.
Turning to Akane, Ukyo grinned darkly, "If you don't mind, I think I
am going to hold on to my claim to Ranma a little longer. I don't
see any reason to make things any easier for that old fool!" She
turned back to the injured man, "Do you hear that Old Man! Ranma is
as much my fiancé as he is Akane's. You better think twice before
you start makin' plans for Ranma's life for him. You can't even fix
the mess you've created!"
As Ukyo went to storm out of the dojo, Akane stopped her gently with
a hand on her shoulder. As Ukyo stared at her, Akane offered a faint
smile. "Thanks, Ukyo. I know this sounds weird, but, I think that
actually helps," she whispered, trying to keep anyone else from
hearing. As Akane returned her attention to the crowd, she noticed
Ryouga glaring at Mousse, with what appeared to be a thick dish
towel stuffed in his mouth. Mousse was shaking the almost immovable
boy and softly lecturing him. Heading over to step in and prevent
bloodshed, well aware of the lost boy's quick temper--Ranma had so
often exploited it!--she was surprised to see Ryouga suddenly calm
down and nod before she arrived.
"What's going on?" she hissed, stepping between them.
"Why, nothing at all!" Mousse smiled falsely.
Ryouga mumbled around the towel and then pulled it out. "Don't worry
Akane. It's nothing, really," he grinned nervously.
Akane glared suspiciously, "Are you two still fighting over Ranko?"
They both shook their heads insistently. Shampoo was suddenly at
their side, "Stupid Mousse and Lost Boy better leave Ranko alone!"
"You know I can't do that!" Mousse frowned, tracking by voice to
look at Shampoo. "I will wait for her to recover, but after that, I
will fight her. You cannot interfere, Shampoo."
"Why you be like this, Mousse? Mousse know no can beat Ranko! She
too too strong for weak boy like you!" Shampoo twisted her question
into a taunt.
"We shall see, Shampoo. We shall see," Mousse turned and dragged
Ryouga outside, leaving Akane and Shampoo to look at each other.
"So, what Kitchen Destroyer do now?" Shampoo demanded.
"Me?" Akane straightened, tucking her fists behind her back as she
checked her anger at the constant insult Shampoo named her with. "I
am going to go eat breakfast and then I am going to school. Oh,"
Akane added, just before walking out of the dojo, "just a thought,
Shampoo. Ranko's all girl now. To get rid of you, all she has to do
is stay that way. What do you think your council will make of that?"
Shampoo stood there and gaped as Akane exited. "What that suppose to
mean?" she whined.
"It means, dear child, you might want to think twice about harassing
Ranko to be a man by throwing yourself at her constantly," Cologne
observed, having followed Shampoo over to keep her from coming to
blows with Mousse. From the way he had been acting, Mousse might no
longer meekly accept one of Shampoo's beatings, and if he chose to
defend himself, a matrimonial battle might quickly result. Whatever
his shame, if an amazon warrior attacked him and he succeeded in
defeating her, the result was valid and his shame was absolved. He
might not have to win Ranko to achieve his ultimate goal. "Come
along, Shampoo. We have a business to run."
"What about Mousse?"
"I believe Mousse will be focused on training for a while, and it
would be best if the two of you had a break from each other. Now,
let's stop dawdling." Brooking no further argument, she ushered the
girl to their home. That left Nabiki, Ranko and their fathers, one
of whom was leaning over the other and uttering empty platitudes to
soothe his pain.
"Hey, Pop? Why don't you have a special technique to defend against
that? You know, like Fierce Gophers Tunneling Under Earth Technique,
or Majestic Mountain Oyster Harvest Leaping Frog Defense? Huh? Huh?"
Ranko prodded the fallen man, gesturing expansively to illustrate
the hypothetical techniques, grinning evilly. Nabiki tabulated the
various remarks and statements she had overheard and decided she was
rubbing off on too many people. They were beating her to all the
good lines! With a sigh of frustration, and a wry grin, she grabbed
Ranko and dragged her inside for breakfast.
-------------------------
There are certain moments in people's lives when waking up is a
truly horrifying prospect. Given the memories Ranma and Fa Shen
shared, it would seem that this should be a familiar feeling, but
without a doubt, they were now experiencing the worst version of
this phenomenon. In fact, as they blinked and wondered if Dr. Tofu
had really overheard their conversation, it seemed impossible to
imagine a worse prospect than having to explain themselves to him.
Naturally, they were wrong. The diminutive form bouncing around with
big eyes, repeatedly demanding, "Is it true!? Is it true!?" proved
that whatever Happosai had lost to age, hearing was not on the list.
Blacking out a second time was definitely called for, and when they
were roused by Tofu again, they were much better prepared for the
coming ordeal. They refused to comment on what the two men overheard
until Happosai swore to listen to the full explanation and never,
ever, betray their confidence. If he did, the next time he was
incapacitated the pair promised they would use the opportunity to
finish him off for good. With little hope that would keep him in
check, they proceeded to explain what really happened when Ranma was
cursed, and how Ranma and Fa Shen had finally emerged from Ranko's
shadow.
"So, let me see if I understand this," Happosai interrupted, seeming
to have entered his serious mode. Pointing at Fa Shen, he began,
"Fifteen hundred years ago, you were drowned at Jusenkyo, creating
the Nyanniichaun." Pointing at Ranma, he continued, "This was your
original form, and because Ranma is a reincarnation of you, you were
able to possess him and escape your grave. But, Ranma fought and the
two of you slipped into some sort of coma, and Ranko was born. Even
though she was a combination of both of you, she thought she was
Ranma until this mirror thing let her shake off his identity. Now,
last night, you," he pointed back at Fa Shen, "woke up, you fought
Ranko for control of her body and dragged her down where the two of
you found and released Ranma." He turned back to the girl and
frowned, "Okay, so, why did you end up the girl, while Fa Shen,
here, become the boy?"
"It was an accident. The mirror left some connection in Ranko's mind
to the reflections. When we found the echoes, we assumed... well, I
assumed I had found Ranma," Fa Shen explained, jerking a thumb at
Ranma. "Instead, I sort of passed through the image and ended up in
this body."
"I see. I take it you can't switch back?" Happosai asked. Ranma
shook her head and Fa Shen explained how they had carried their ki
with them and left Ranko on the brink of death. Without them to
recharge her ki, it could take her years to recover from their
separation. "Ah! Well, I might be able to help you there! I know a
little something about charging up ki!" Happosai puffed up proudly.
"Uh, actually, we already found a solution," Ranma blushed. The two
men looked at her in surprise and urged her to explain. With a sigh,
she tried, "Well, I woke up sorta like Fa Shen did, but, uh... under
some special circumstances. I didn't think anything of it until I
got home and accidentally dumped some ki I had freed up into Ranko.
I didn't know I had done it, but when she asked me to think of
anything I had done to generate the extra ki, I sorta suspected the
answer, and I went and tested somethin' to see if I was right."
Happosai was frowning in thought. He casually laid a hand on Ranma's
knee and suddenly jerked in surprise. He turned to stare at her, and
she blushed, having expected him to figure it out. He was a rabid
pervert after all! "Ranma-chan! You didn't!?" the old man drooled.
"It wasn't my idea, I sorta popped in to something that was, er,
already goin' on. That doesn't change the fact that it is the
solution to the problem, and since Ranko uses ki from both of us,
it's sort of follows that Fa Shen and I have to do that to heal
her," Ranma admitted somewhat shamefully.
Dr. Tofu, however, had not jumped to any conclusions. He could put
it all together, but he wanted it out in the open. "What, exactly,
do you and Fa Shen have to do to heal Ranko, Ranma?"
"We have to have sex together," Fa Shen answered for the girl.
Tofu looked them both in the eye, and saw the honesty behind the
embarrassment and fear. He closed his eyes and ran through his pool
of knowledge, making adjustments for the situation. A few moments
later, he came back from his reverie and met their eyes again. "I
can see how this would be an effective way to generate a surplus of
ki and transfer it to Ranko. However, a common rule of thumb in
medicine is, just because the medicine might work are you required
to administer it?" He held up a hand to stall protest. "The human
body is an amazing thing, and it is far better at healing itself
than any outside treatment can compare to in most cases. This is
sort of an extended case of that, since the best solution is a
natural one. My point is, just because you can do this, does not
mean you must do this. There are other concerns you need to
address," Tofu insisted.
"That sounds like you're worried about us, doc," Ranma noted. "Not
that I don't appreciate that, it's just... I can't stand to see Ranko
so weak and vulnerable! As a martial artist, I have to help if I
can. It's not like it's that big a sacrifice, since I've already
done it once, and there was nothing I coulda done to prevent it. The
worst has already happened."
Fa Shen noticed the underlying hurt, but was more surprised by the
note of confusion. It was as if the worst had been, well,
unexpectedly far from bad. Hesitantly, he asked, "Did... did you enjoy
it?" Ranma immediately flushed to her roots, her face matching the
shade of her hair almost perfectly.
Tofu laughed gently, "Ranma, truly it is nothing to be ashamed of.
The body is wired for specific sensations--hot, cold; pain,
pleasure--and a healthy mind naturally responds to them
appropriately." He composed himself and restated his position, "I am
not suggesting that there is anything wrong with either of you
having sex. I suspect you will enjoy that, since you can hardly help
yourselves. I merely point out that this is a, ah, highly unusual
situation. Because the pair of you are unwillingly switched to the
opposite sex, this activity could easily damage your psyches and
leave scars that will never heal. Since the solution to your own
problems is to assume a variation of the original curse, and you
might always be faced with having two sexes, there is a fair chance
that you would eventually engage in sex in your present forms. The
only way that can be healthy is if you choose to take that step for
your own reasons. If you feel forced into it, you can easily regret
it. Don't you agree, Ranma-chan?"
Ranma gave him a grieved look. "I'm not really that upset about
havin' sex. But you're right. I sorta wish I had a choice, but I'm
also sorta glad I didn't. I'm more worried that I kinda like it and
wanna do it again... but maybe I shouldn't. I think I can still be a
man, but I doubt anyone else would see it that way if they knew!"
Tofu leaned toward her and smiled, "Personally, I agree with you,
Ranma. I don't see any reason why being a fully functional woman
would keep you from being a fully functional man. At least not when
there is an ability like your old curse involved. Every vehicle has
it's particular benefits and limitations, but a skilled pilot, so to
speak, is comfortable at the controls of any one that suits his
needs." He straightened and took in Fa Shen as well, "However, I am
not one to encourage anyone to recklessly attempt something they
have not properly considered. There are inherent dangers in becoming
sexually active, for anyone, and not just you two."
Ranma smirked, "Yeah, I got that from my Mom too. I got panicked and
rushed int... what am I talkin' about!? Damn, fell into the memories
again." She frowned and thought for a moment, then shrugged, "What
the hell, they're my memories now. This girl," she gestured to
herself, "rushed into having sex. Thanks to Mom, we used protection.
I'm not gonna get pregnant if I can help it."
"That is only one danger, Ranma-chan. Some of the dangers can be
dealt with through similar precautions, such as preventing disease.
Since you two are both healthy, as is Ryouga, that is not a major
concern. However, there are also social considerations," Tofu
pointed out. "I suppose it's more a matter of perception here, since
you are versions of the same being. Still, to most people the pair
of you having sex would be considered incest."
The couple shouted, with wide, staring eyes, "INCEST!?"
"But, of course you might think of it as closer to masturbation,"
Tofu modified, emphasizing that any medical professional would
assert that was a normal and healthy activity, he pushed on.
"Certainly, you have lived different lives, but... You technically
share the same body and soul. That said, it really isn't anyone
else's business what you do together."
"Quite so, Tofu, my boy!" Happosai crowed. With a shrug and a wicked
look he added, "Not that it isn't human nature for people to poke
their noses in things that aren't any of their business, especially
around here!" With a wild cackle, he started rubbing Ranma's knee
imagining his favorite female in some rather explicit fantasies.
Ranma, and to an even more violent degree, Fa Shen, shuddered and
attempted to squash the dirty old man like a bug. Said bug twisted
and hopped, giving each of his assailants a tiny nudge, and suddenly
Ranma and Fa Shen found themselves in a rather compromising
position. Looking up at Fa Shen, Ranma squeaked in dismay.
"Ah! Would you get off! You're squishing... Kyaaaa! That's sensitive!"
"I know!!! Waaaaah! I'msorry! I'msorry! Ahhh! So's that!"
"Like I don't know that!"
"Aren't they the perfect couple!?" Happosai purred.
"You are not helping, Happosai," Tofu frowned. Reaching out, he
wrested Fa Shen's ankle and flipped him off of Ranma. "Now, as I was
saying, it is important the two of you think about what you're
planning and, unless it's something you're both comfortable with,
and you take the necessary precautions, I suggest you find some
other way to help Ranko."
"Well, there's another problem," Ranma sighed, sitting up and
straightening her pajamas. "You see, Ranko and me are suddenly
amazons 'cuz of Fa Shen, and Mousse challenged Ranko to a marriage
duel. He can't do anything 'til she's back to normal, but he has as
long as that takes to train. When he really puts his mind to it,
he's actually pretty good, and you remember what happened when he
fought me when I had the C-C-Cat's Tongue on me."
Tofu blinked and sighed. "I see. That would make healing Ranko a
priority. If I have reservations about young people rushing into
sex, that is nothing compared to the feelings I have about them
being rushed into marriage. People need the time and freedom to grow
up at a healthy pace," he rubbed his hands over his face. While he
had much respect for the amazons and their culture, it would do them
a lot of good to come out of the stone age in a number of respects.
"Unless Happosai has some suggestions for an alternative method, I
will have to leave the matter of you two proceeding to your own
judgment. Happosai?" he turned to the tiny martial-arts master.
"I am afraid there's nothing as safe or efficient that I could
suggest, short of natural healing. Nothing I could offer would be as
quick. A few hot nights in the sack, and bam! Ranko will be back to
normal! Can't beat that with all the shiatsu slight of hand in the
world!" Happosai grinned. He rubbed his hands and held them out
toward the couple in anticipation, as if he were warming them before
a fire.
They looked at him with nervous laughter. As luck would have it,
this was the man fate seemed to have chosen to act as their
chaperone. To prove this, Happosai brought up the next big problem.
"Well, it would not do for you kiddies to be caught in the act so,
what now? We need to think of a nice, private place where you can go
to work and fear no interruptions!" Ranma and Fa Shen cringed in
terror. Happosai hunched over in thought, before jumping up and
holding up the compact in triumph. "It's perfect! We'll put you two
in here and I'll guard it so no one goes in or out until it's safe!"
"Where did you get that?"
"What? Well, this little toy has proven itself to be an all to
convenient way for certain people to stick me out of the way. Do you
honestly think I'd leave it just laying around? Certainly not!" he
scolded them.
They exchanged suspicious looks and demanded, "What's to keep you
from tryin' to peak on us and getting trapped inside with us? Huh?
Then what?" Shaking their heads, they declared, "No way. Not a
chance, you sick pervert!"
"Good heavens! You wound me!" Happosai clutched his heart. Flipping
the compact in the air and tucking it back in his gi, he shrugged,
"It's not like I can't imagine it just as well, and honestly, I
can't do anything with sexual energy. I could hardly sort the male
energy from the female energy, and, personally, the amount of ki
that is freed up that way is a million times greater than the
residue I normally handle." He shuddered, remembering the
debilitating effects of Fa Shen's chi attack. The amount of residual
female ki in that attack had probably added twenty years to his
life.
"Huh?"
"I mean, it'll be hard enough dealing with the energy that seeps out
through the mirror. I would not want to be in there with you. For
all I know, that much energy would make me explode," Happosai
giggled. What a way to go!
"Wouldn't that mean..."
"...that using female ki to sustain himself..."
"...he made it so he can..."
"...never have sex?"
"It's like listening to twins," Tofu grinned.
"Why do you think I avoid Cologne whenever possible, and annoy the
hell out of her whenever she gets close?" Happosai demanded.
"You find Cologne attractive?" Ranma twitched.
Happosai scowled, "Listen, you little whippersnapper! She and I go
way back! Besides, it's sort of a matter of scale. What am I
supposed to do with a young woman like yourself with boobs bigger
than I am!?"
"Gah! Don't even ask! I don't wanna accidently picture it!" the pair
cringed. After a moment, they looked at each other and gaped, "Hey!
We're in sync! How the hell...?"
"Ranma's memories," Happosai yawned. "Get used to it."
"Ranko's memories!" they corrected primly.
"A technical distinction after the fact," the old man waved it off.
Whipping out the compact again he grinned, "So, you kids ready to
rock and roll?" He cracked it open and flashed the mirror in their
direction. Ranma, Fa Shen and Tofu all flinched and averted their
eyes.
"Would you put that away?"
"If you not getting anything out of it, what are you in such a hurry
for?"
"You are really, really not helping, Happosai."
"Hey, who said I'm not getting anything out of it! When was the last
time I passed on having a pocket full of mischief? I'm doing my
civic duty to corrupt the youth, I am standing up for the sexual
revolution!"
"That was almost forty years ago, and it was on another continent to
boot! It really is a wonder that no one's managed to kill you yet,
Happosai," Tofu rolled his eyes.
Happosai looked up at the sky, "Young people today! They have no
sense of humor!" He put the mirror away again and composed himself,
"Look, I'm a crazy old goat, but I earned that the old fashioned
way. When you reach my age you learn to appreciate secret plots and
intrigue and do your part to keep things interesting. I'm the last
person anyone can be expected to trust, which in turn makes me one
of the best people to trust. You wanna do this thing, I'm there to
help. Just because I think you should enjoy yourself to the fullest,
get as much mileage out of it as you can, doesn't mean I'm not
taking this seriously. You need to learn to bend the rules, kids!
That's what makes the game interesting! Those fools, Genma and Soun,
never could learn that lesson."
There were no coherent replies.
"Hell, you too, Dr. Tofu! You're a fine, upstanding, professional
young man, but you're wound so tight your brains squirt out your
ears the minute you lay eyes on a pretty skirt and you find yourself
thinking unlawful things," the little troll accused. "I can see your
problem, son, and let me tell you, that little problem with ethics
you seem to have concerning one of your patients? Well, that problem
could be solved by finding Kasumi another doctor, don't you think?"
There was no response from behind the doctor's suddenly frosted
glasses. The moment he wandered away to "consult" with Betty-chan,
the other three cleared the room as fast as possible.
"It's kind of a shame. He had himself under control almost the whole
time he was at the dojo," Fa Shen commented, out on the sidewalk.
"What was that about 'ethics'?" Ranma asked Happosai.
"Oh. Some little bit of nonsense about how doctors should not treat
members of their own family, or have too familiar thoughts about
their patients. For such a bright lad, he does seem to have a Tendo
shaped blind-spot."
"Oh..." the couple droned in bemusement.
"Still, it serves to illustrate the point, kids. If you get all
worked up about 'doing the wrong thing' you can lose sight of what
the right thing to do is. People are not bonsai trees, you know.
It's not in their best interest to be pruned and stunted by years of
pointless restriction. It's bad for anyone, but especially bad for a
martial artist!" he lectured.
"You know, there are rare moments when you actually sound like a
real sensei, Old Goat!" Ranma accused almost fondly. With a light
chuckle, she began leading the way back to the Tendo Dojo. Her inner
clock had announced it was time for breakfast, and that overruled
all other thought.
-------------------------
Nodoka had eagerly thrown herself into making breakfast. The things
she had learned the previous evening, and that morning, had shaken
her deeply. What she had learned was enough to see that a wall of
protection had been erected around her son by his friends and
fiancées, all trying to defend him against the promise that the
mother held over the son. On one hand, it spoke well for her son
that the people who loved him would go to such lengths to preserve
him, but that they felt it necessary said that there was something
terribly wrong with him. It had been revealed that this curse,
binding him to Ranko and Ranneko, was responsible for at least
outwardly compromising his manhood. As far as that went, an external
influence was not a factor in determining his manliness, as long as
it was just that. She admitted, she might not have believed such a
curse possible, and, if not for the effects she had witnessed in the
twin girls, she would have been quick to dismiss it as foolishness.
She found she believed in this curse, whatever it was, and since it
seemed to have its impact on the minds of those affected, it truly
concerned her. Not as much as the possibility that he should have
been her daughter, however.
All through the meal, a scene of uncommon silence, she had toyed
absently with her hair. Occasionally, she reached into her pocket
and felt the bottle she now kept there. She had heard the amazons
leaving and stopped Cologne to beg for the bottle. The old woman had
been unwilling to give it at first, but Nodoka had insisted, hefting
her bundled katana and declaring that, as a last resort, she would
rather use the antidote as a final test of her son's manhood, if he
did not measure up in all other respects. A living daughter was far
preferable to a dead son, and Cologne had agreed.
Occasionally, she found her attention focused on Ranko. The girl ate
her meal quietly and slowly, forced by her weakness to show an
approximation of good manners for the first time in memory, without
prompting from Nodoka herself. Whenever the girl glanced at Mousse,
the amazon boy sitting next to Ryouga, she betrayed a troubled look
of concern and annoyance. Her appraisal of Ryouga, the boy who
supposedly had a crush on Ranko, there was more hesitation and
uncertainty. A faint longing, suggested by the slightest of blushes.
Oddly, she had a similar reaction to Akane, slightly better hidden
because that girl was sitting attentively beside her and offering
every assistance she could.
Nodoka wondered if she was catching a glimpse of the curse's effect,
a hint of Ranma's feelings toward Akane projected through the red-
haired girl. Nodoka suddenly ached to speak to her son, to hear from
his own mouth what he was going through and how he felt. Closing her
eyes, she silently prayed to the powers above to be granted her
greatest wish. If only she could be reunited with him. If only all
these troubling questions could be laid to rest.
As usual, there was no reply from the heavens, and soon enough Akane
and Nabiki were gathering their things and preparing to leave for
school. The two boys went out into the yard to spar and Ranko
dragged herself to the engawa to watch. Soun lured Mr. Panda to the
corner of the room and they started to play shogi--truly an amazing
thing to watch, when she thought about it. With a heart felt sigh,
Nodoka decided it was time to go home. She quietly excused herself,
begging Kasumi to bid her farewells. With her family honor blade
resting in the crook of her arm, she drifted to the genkan and
slipped on her shoes. Just as she was about to open the shoji
enclosing the main entrance to the house, it swept open to reveal
Ranko's twin, a gnarled dwarf of a man she sensed she should
recognize on sight, and a young man she had only seen in flashes or
in dreams.
Fa Shen turned from making some comment to Ranma and found himself
staring into Nodoka's eyes. However, the brilliant hue of the hair
framing her face shook off all thoughts that might have come from
Ranma, because there was only one person Fa Shen knew who looked
like the woman before her. In a startled, heart wrenching voice, he
breathed, "Mother..."
Nodoka gasped, catching that one word. "Ranma..."
Ranma gulped and shouted in artificial joy, "Auntie Saotome!" At the
same time, she elbowed the boy next to her in the ribs, hard.
Praying for all she was worth for him to realize who he was speaking
to, she prattled on, "Why, are you going home so soon!?"
As intended, she drew Nodoka's attention to herself.
"Ran... Ranneko! You found my son! Oh, thank you! Thank you!" she
reached out and grabbed the two teens and dragged them into the
house. Bearing a grin to rival Death's unforgiving smile, Ranma knew
that the deadly trap she had been dodging for months, in recently
acquired hindsight, had finally closed its jaws on her. With a
fearful glance, she studied Fa Shen, seeing the shock and
understanding battle on his face as it became clear that he had not
miraculously been reunited with his mother, and that he now had to
convince Ranma's mother that he was her son, and a Man-Among-Men. A
strong memory of how fast Ranma had been dressed in white,
ceremonial roles and presented with the instrument of his demise,
made it very clear how critical the next few moments were.
Nodoka was calling out to everyone, announcing "Ranma's" arrival.
For one eternal moment, it was possible to hear the heart beat of
the Earth through the silence, then there was a storm of feet
rushing to converge on the Tea Room. As Ranma approached and helped
Ranko take a seat at the table, she mouthed, "What is she still
doing here?" Ranko pressed her lips into a tight white line to keep
anything from coming out of her mouth as she faintly shook her head.
Fa Shen was escorted to the table and seated by Nodoka, who kept his
hand in an iron grip. Nodoka, pleased by what she could see up
front, a strong, healthy, handsome young man, turned and hugged him
as if he was he only link to life. Fa Shen, instantly identifying
with the woman and her loss, returned the hug, opening his mind to
the inherited memories. If at all possible, Fa Shen had to be Ranma,
for as long as it took for Ranma to reclaim his rightful place.
There was no alternative at this point.
Ranma, for her part, wanted to curl up and die. The reunion with her
mother that she had craved for so long, the chance to prove herself
a man, had been suddenly stripped away. It took all her willpower
not to scream in denial, shout out the truth, and shove Fa Shen away
from her mother. It did not leave enough to stop the tears that
immediately spilled down her cheeks. Unable to achieve a similar
release, Ranko looked up at Akane and Nabiki, both frozen where they
had entered the room. Akane was tearing up and biting her lip, but
Nabiki looked like someone had stabbed her in the gut. The mercenary
middle sister turned to stare at Ranma and choked at the powerful
emotions ripping over the former boy's face.
Releasing Fa Shen from the hug, but not letting go of him, she
cried, "Oh, Ranma! I am so happy to see you at last! Where is your
father!?"
Fa Shen's eyes flicked over to the panda, frozen in horror at the
shogi table, and returned his gaze to Nodoka. "Uh, he... P-Pop i-is...
p-pr-practicin' st-strategy a-and t-tactics," he stammered.
Nodoka was distracted by an unpleasant pressure on her chest.
Looking down slowly, she met the large, dewy eyes of Happosai and
shrieked. Automatically, Fa Shen grabbed him by the head and twisted
him off of Nodoka's breast and slammed him down hard on the table.
The old man's eyes bulged out from the impact, but he popped out of
the boy's hand and dusted himself off casually.
"Good morning, Nodoka!" he grinned. "It has been some time, hasn't
it?" He casually dodged a number of blows from Fa Shen, and a few
thrown in by Ranma as well, and his smile widened. "That's a real
fine boy you have there. The finest martial artist of his
generation, I dare say. I honestly can't believe Genma managed it!"
"I thought you had been buried alive, Old Man," Nodoka grated
dangerously, slipping her katana free of it's wrapping. She rose to
her feet, about to unsheathe the sword, when the conversation with
"Ranneko" in the bath the night before suddenly came back to her. To
help Ranko, Ranma was forced to do something Nodoka could never
forgive, something his manhood might not survive. Looking down at
the infamous pervert, Nodoka gasped. She glanced at "Ranma" and
"Ranneko" and realized they had arrived with her husband's ancient
Master. "It's you, isn't it? You're the help Ranma needs to heal
Ranko!?" she accused, drawing the blade and parking it's razor tip
under Happosai's nose.
Happosai almost sliced himself, folding over and laughing with
delight. "It's true! It is so true! Absolutely amazing, Nodoka! I
just can't put one over on you, can I?"
"Oh, merciful heaven..." Only the fact that Genma had risen up against
the hideous little troll and sealed him away in a cave had kept
Nodoka from dissolving their marriage years ago. There were few
things Nodoka hated as much as the despicable old pervert. That
Ranma might be forced to indenture himself to the same warped man as
Genma, to secure his aid, might indeed be an insult to his manhood
Nodoka could not forgive. He had left her husband a mere shell of a
man, a man who could abduct her only child and abandon his wife if
she did not agree to his flimsy contract. A man she missed deeply.
With a heart wrenching sob, she challenged, "Has my son accepted you
as his sensei!?"
While Happosai grudgingly frowned and said "No" Ranma, Ranko and Fa
Shen shouted an ear splitting "Absolutely not!"
Nodoka cringed back and studied the three. All three had bolted to
their feet, standing rigid with fists clenched and faces in fury,
holding identical poses, down to the tremor in their bodies, until
Ranko collapsed from exhaustion. "Oh my. You three really are tied
together, aren't you?" she asked in bewildered relief. Turning to
"Ranma" she asked, "My son. Have you asked Happosai to help you heal
Ranko?"
Fa Shen scratched his head and shrugged, "No. Ran... er, Ranneko and I
explained what needed to be done to Dr. Tofu, and he kinda butted in
and volunteered to help."
Nodoka relaxed a bit. Turning to Soun, she demanded, "Can you
explain what he is doing here, Soun?"
"Ah, well, you see. H-he is my M-Master. When he e-escaped from his
prison, he came back and... well... I can't make him go away!" Soun
sobbed.
"Why, Soun! I am hurt! When I came back, my room was just as I had
left it, aside from the dutiful maintenance of dear, sweet Kasumi!"
he turned affectionate eyes on the eldest daughter and fluttered his
eyelashes. Turning back, "I think that says something about the
dutiful student. Quite a different story from the way I am treated
in Saotome's home!"
"Should you dare to enter it again, I will fulfill my promise to
you, Old Man! You are an evil, monstrous predator, and you taint all
those you touch! You should know I cannot allow my son to fall under
your sway!" she declared.
"Nodoka-chan... As always, you are overreacting."
"That my son rejects your personal authority speaks well of him. The
heavens know it was you who brought my fiancé low, and then, as my
husband, broke him. I know you, Happosai, and if he has the courage
to thwart you, he is a better man than I had hoped."
Fa Shen gave an evil grin. "You mean you approve of me kickin' his
ass!?" He rubbed his hands together and a strange aura began to fill
the air. Happosai instantly stiffened in fear. He had sensed it only
once before, but he knew damn well what that signaled.
"Uh, now, uh... 'Ranma'! There's no need for that!" he placated.
Seeing him squirm, Nodoka smiled. The old letch was actually afraid
of her son. That was something to make a mother proud!
"Showoff," Ranma hissed at Fa Shen.
Happosai scowled. He did not care to see Nodoka butcher her family,
but, this was an insult to his pride. In a low tone, he uttered a
warning, "Fa Shen..." No need to be too obvious, he chuckled. That
should be enough to make the boy toe the line.
Nodoka frowned. "Fa Shen...? Wha- Who is that?"
Ranma instantly jumped up, "Uh! Me! I am Fa Shen!"
Nodoka's frown evolved into a scowl. "Ranneko... this is no time for
games," she warned, pushing the point.
"It's not a game." Ranma turned to Happosai, "You're not going to
use the contract to manipulate us anymore. You wanna play that way?
Fine. Let's play!"
"Oooohhh! Really!?" Happosai took on an evil grin. "So, maybe you
want to explain to your mother what 'Ranma' has to do to heal Ranko?
Hmmm?" he taunted. The room temperature plummeted as two people
summoned the soul of ice. "Well, Ranma? Do you want to tell her? Or
shall I?"
Nodoka stepped forward, "Her name is Ranneko. I know about the
curse, so don't think you can confuse me!"
"Ah! So! But, I thought she was Fa Shen!" he played innocent and
turned to the boy. "I guess that makes you Fa Shen, then doesn't
it?" Fa Shen snarled and placed her hands together, gathering a ball
of chi.
"Whoops, looks like I pissed her off! We can pick up this lovely
chat again some other time, then!" he darted around the room, making
for the open door, almost to freedom, when Ranko lurched into his
path and collared him.
"You sick old man! You're worse than Pops! Stirrin' up trouble and
then runnin' away! Not this time!"
Still, Nodoka knew how he worked. He caused so much trouble, because
he always knew how to twist the truth. His threats always had
something substantial behind them. "Ranma?" she was afraid to ask,
but better to hear it from him. "What do you have to do to heal
Ranko?"
Happosai, twisted out of Ranko's grasp, and with a touch, dropped
her to the floor. Hopping onto her belly and taking up a fighting
pose, he shouted gleefully, "Come on, 'Ranma'," he winked at the
real Ranma, "tell Mother! She would want to know who her 'little
BOY' is sleeping with, yes!?"
"That does it!" a general shout, as this taunting finally became
insulting. As one, the fighters in the room surged forward. As one,
they suddenly realized who would take the punishment if they missed
Happosai. Ranko was laying helpless beneath his feet.
"Heh. Last chance to apologize, Ranma!"
"Hey, Happosai!" Ranma shouted.
"Yes, my sweet?"
"Don't forget our promise. You go down, you die!"
"Ah, life's no fun if you play it safe!" he proceeded to laugh like
he was having the time of his life. "Go on, Nodoka! Ask your 'son'
what 'he' needs to do. What 'he' WANTS to do!"
Nodoka shook with anger at being played. She looked at her son,
pleading silently, wondering what lay behind the cold mask that hid
his emotions. Fa Shen risked a glance at Ranma. Ranma, standing
behind Nodoka, sighed and gave a slight nod. Fa Shen stiffened and
opened his mouth to speak.
"Ranma has to sleep with Fa Shen," Mousse suddenly interrupted.
"It's the only way to generate ki for Ranko. It's the only way to
heal the damage, now that the curse is broken."
Happosai sagged. "Now, why did you have to put it like that?" he
complained, jumping off of Ranko and getting in the blind martial-
artist's face. "You took all the fun out of it! No wonder Cologne
doesn't like you! You're a spoil sport!" he poked the boy in the
chest three times. The third time, he stuffed one of his trademark
bombs inside Mousse's robes and bounded away. The explosion caused
the boy's robes to puff out like a tent and billow as smoke and wind
poured violently out through the openings. Mousse was rocked and
blackened by the blast, but remained on his feet.
Nodoka, having recovered her voice by this point, blinked and
begged, "I'm sorry. Who is Fa Shen, again?"
As Ranma raised her hand, everyone else pointed feverishly at her.
"Me. I am," she said. Happosai bounded around to behind Fa Shen, and
cupping his mouth conspiratorially mouthed "him" and pointed at the
boy accusatively. Ranma glared and went on, "Ranneko is just
something we came up with on the spot last night, since they didn't
know who I was." She punctuated this with a meaningful look at the
others. "Anyway... I am the reason that, um... Ranko and Ranma were
cursed. Aheh, I guess you could say, I am the curse," which, if she
had been Fa Shen, was quite true. At the very least, she was laying
the ground work to tell the complete truth, once she and Fa Shen
were cursed back to normal. There was a relieved sigh from the
crowd, as they realized how Ranma had put the cat back in the bag.
Truly, she was the last person anyone would expect to be able to do
that!
From the ground came the plaintive voice of Ranko, "Uh, guys? Since
the old goat isn't standing on top of me at the moment, could you
PLEASE go kill him now?" With that, she gave into the shock of what
she had just learned. She could not believe Ranma and Fa Shen were
willing to do THAT just to help her heal. Imagining how that
knowledge could have been used against Ranma, she shuddered and
covered her face. She did not bother to think much after that,
because the sounds of battle suddenly filled the room.
------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Part Thirty-Three
------------------------------------------------------------------
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-Three: Cures and Confrontations
------------------------------------------------------------------
In light of Nodoka's response to Cologne's probing, it seemed
obvious that if Ranma's identity were revealed in her current form
she would be doomed to spend the rest of her life as a woman. With a
minimum of encouragement, Kasumi was left to keep Nodoka distracted
helping make breakfast while Nabiki rounded up all of the teens and
assembled them in the dojo to bring them up to speed. Genma was
revived by Soun and rushed into the training hall as well, since the
panda had been unconscious through much of the morning scene. There
was a little debate about finding Ranma and Fa Shen and having them
hear this too, but no one knew where they were. Or rather, Mousse
decided not to inform everyone that Fa Shen slept at Dr. Tofu's and
Ranma had gone over to discuss some sexual healing. He could just
imagine the chaos if someone interrupted that particular
conversation! However, before the father's could bring the meeting
to order, Ranko pounced--or angrily flopped--on Cologne, demanding
an explanation of her own condition.
"You used that antidote stuff on me instead of Chisuiiton water!?"
she shouted. "How could that lock my curse!? What's going on!?"
"Calm down, child," Cologne begged. With her staff, she pushed the
half limp girl onto her rear and arranged her limbs so she could
balance herself sitting upright, Indian fashion. "I thought I
dropped enough details for you to figure this out for yourself. It
was not easy to explain without completely tipping your mother off."
"Geez, Ranko. You honestly haven't figured it out?" Nabiki jabbed.
"What's to figure out!? It sounds like Pops doped Mom to get a son!"
she cried, glaring at Genma. "What do you have to say for yourself,
Old Man!?"
Genma reached for a sign and proceeded to write in an even more
unsteady scrawl than normal. Akane picked up the kettle Soun had
brought in and dumped hot water over the panda's head, scowling.
"Try being a man for once in your life!" she grated menacingly.
Genma swallowed and went into classic Saotome denial gestures, "Now,
wait. It's not my fault..." Blows rained down as Ryouga, Shampoo, Ukyo
and Akane demonstrated the effectiveness of their trademark blunt
instruments. Genma crawled out from under the pile of mallet, giant
spatula, mallet and umbrella and started again. "Don't any of you
know how to show your elders some respect!?" he shouted. A wall of
narrow eyes and hefted weapons stared him down. Sagging, he
continued, "I will admit as much as expressing my desire to have a
son to my old Master, Happosai..." There was a collective groan, as he
confirmed the worst. "Please, try to understand. Nodoka and I were
married around the same time Soun wed his beloved wife. He was
already the proud father of two beautiful daughters and my greatest
concern was that Nodoka might be barren and our dream of uniting the
two schools would never come to pass," he protested, eyes tearing
dramatically.
"Spare us the sob story, Pops! Get to the point!"
"Very well, 'Boy'!" he huffed at his "daughter". "I will say now
that the first I ever heard of Togenkyo water was our recent
adventure with Prince Toma. That said, my master gave me a flask of
water and instructed me to administer three drops a day in Nodoka's
food or drink, for a month. She would then be ready to produce a
son. He warned me that the water contained a powerful medicine; any
more than the prescribed amount could endanger Nodoka's health, and
I was careful to follow the instructions exactly. As promised,
Nodoka became pregnant a month later and eventually gave birth to my
son."
"Too bad that was the only time you ever followed instructions,"
Ranko muttered bitterly. She looked down at herself and cleared her
throat. "This is the body that Ranma was born in. Since I didn't die
in the bath, I suppose that means... What exactly? I mean, even if the
antidote worked, I was a girl when you used it. How did it block the
curse?"
Cologne took a deep breath and perched on her staff again. "There
was one detail I left out, because of Nodoka. A few of the girls
restored by the antidote had the misfortune, as boys, to become
cursed. When the antidote restored their natural forms, the curses
disappeared. As these were animal curses, no one expected such a
thing to happen. However," Cologne paused dramatically. Seeing she
had everyone's full attention, she continued, "One of the things
that made it possible to cure the Togenkyo transformation, which
seemed permanent, was the fact that it masked the true form of it's
subject and did not use her ki in the transformation. Like most
antidotes, the cure is in the poison, so the cure uses the same
magic to unmask the subject's true form. Now, it seems that a
Jusenkyo curse is rooted in the form of the victim. When those
'boys' were cursed, the curse attached itself to the mask. Once the
mask was removed, the curse went with it."
Ranko looked at herself again. "Wait. This is Ranma's true form?
How? It's exactly the same as the cursed form!" she cried. Then she
did a double take, "Wait. This means... I am cured?"
Cologne hummed thoughtfully. "It is true, you are now just a normal
girl. No boy mask, no curse. As for why you have the same form as Fa
Shen," she shrugged. "Some souls have a preference for a certain
appearance, so it is not unusual to see them reincarnated identical
to their former selves. How it happened in this case, I have only
one conjecture. It has been noted that victims strongly marked by Fa
Shen in the nyanniichaun tended to produce offspring with the same
features. From that, and some things your mother said, I would guess
that your mother is descended from, or perhaps even is, one of those
victims."
Ranko boggled. More than once, the resemblance of Ranko to Nodoka at
the same age had been mentioned. Now that Nodoka's hair was revealed
to be the same brilliant crimson, the resemblance was only stronger.
Shaking her head, she mused, "I doubt Mom was cursed. She would have
suspected the truth right away if she had been. Still... Her mom?"
Ranko shrugged. Having learned that her mother's parents were dead,
there was no way to find out.
Cologne waved the question off, for the same reason. "We cannot
know. What we do know, however, is that this is good news for you,
Ranko!" she smiled finally. Ranko decided she had gotten used to
Cologne. She didn't flinch from the terrifying grimace the
expression produced on her shrunken, wrinkled head. Ranko, like the
others, scratched her head and exchanged random glances, unable to
see how there was an upside to this discovery, so Cologne just
rolled her eyes and voiced it, unprompted. "You're taking all the
fun out of being a wise old woman! Ranko. Your curse was the last
tie to the Mirror of Broken Souls."
This stunned the crowd.
"Congratulations, Ranko! You survived it!" Akane was the first to
get it.
"It... it's over?" Ranko blinked in disbelief.
"I knew you could do it, sugar!" Ukyo pushed forward to hug her.
"Shampoo so so glad for Ranko!" she delivered with a full body
glomp.
"Old Woman! Are you certain of this!?" Genma demanded. At Cologne's
nod, Genma turned to hug Soun. "Do you hear that old friend? We can
go to Jusenkyo at once! It is safe to travel!"
"This is wonderful news, Saotome-kun! I am so happy for you! And,
once Ranma is back to normal, we can return home and celebrate with
a big wedding!" the Tendo patriarch cried out, showering tears over
the crowd. With a collective shout, the group darted out of range of
the waterworks muttering. Even though the dousing was harmless,
Ranko sighed her thanks to Shampoo and Ukyo for swiftly dragging her
out of the spray.
"Um...!" Akane blurted out. "What if Ranma... er... wants to remain a
girl?" she asked in a voice that grew more timid as eyes fixed on
her.
"What is this? What can you mean, Akane?" Soun bawled.
"Well, we did just learn he was supposed to be a she..." Akane
fidgeted. "Doesn't that mean... well, doesn't that give her a choice?"
As she was saying this, she was looking at Ryouga. Call it women's
intuition, but she had the feeling that something might have been
started between those two. The odd way Ranma had blushed and
stammered over the oddest things, after returning from her date...
Even if the real Ranma had woken up in the middle of it, he had
obviously slipped under the influence of the memories he had gotten.
"Why would my son want to be a girl!?" Genma growled.
Akane cringed. "For one thing, his mother won't force him to kill
himself if he really is a she."
Nabiki barked a short laugh, "Come on, Akane! Are you sure you
aren't just saying that to get out of the engagement?" That was
enough to cause both fathers to instantly ignore Akane's input. To
everyone's surprise, however, Ukyo suddenly spoke up.
"You know, Akane is right. I'm not saying we should push him to be a
girl, but, doesn't he deserve to know he has a choice? I mean, if
you keep this a secret, give him a male curse and lock him in it,
and he finds out later... I mean, it's as bad as lying to Nodoka all
this time!" she marched up and got in Genma's face. "Is that your
notion of honor, Genma!? Lie to your wife, lie to your son, lie to
everyone around you so you get what you want and no one holds you
responsible!?" Ukyo was shaking in subdued anger. It was never far
from her mind that it was Genma who was truly responsible for
screwing up her life.
Genma scowled. "What would a little girl like you know about honor?
Look at you, dressing like a man, running away from your own family...
You don't even know your own place, so don't think you can put me in
mine," he foolishly wasted his week's allowance of spine in a
retaliatory effort to shame the unwanted fiancée.
Ukyo snarled, her vision going red, and whipped her knee into
Genma's groin with all the strength she possessed. Staring down at
him, after he curled over and dropped to his side, she spat, "Is
that womanly enough for you!? Since you cost me my womanhood, maybe
I should return the favor, huh?"
Genma whimpered and tried to squirm away from her.
"Oh, yeah. He definitely had that coming," the other teens noted.
Turning to Akane, Ukyo grinned darkly, "If you don't mind, I think I
am going to hold on to my claim to Ranma a little longer. I don't
see any reason to make things any easier for that old fool!" She
turned back to the injured man, "Do you hear that Old Man! Ranma is
as much my fiancé as he is Akane's. You better think twice before
you start makin' plans for Ranma's life for him. You can't even fix
the mess you've created!"
As Ukyo went to storm out of the dojo, Akane stopped her gently with
a hand on her shoulder. As Ukyo stared at her, Akane offered a faint
smile. "Thanks, Ukyo. I know this sounds weird, but, I think that
actually helps," she whispered, trying to keep anyone else from
hearing. As Akane returned her attention to the crowd, she noticed
Ryouga glaring at Mousse, with what appeared to be a thick dish
towel stuffed in his mouth. Mousse was shaking the almost immovable
boy and softly lecturing him. Heading over to step in and prevent
bloodshed, well aware of the lost boy's quick temper--Ranma had so
often exploited it!--she was surprised to see Ryouga suddenly calm
down and nod before she arrived.
"What's going on?" she hissed, stepping between them.
"Why, nothing at all!" Mousse smiled falsely.
Ryouga mumbled around the towel and then pulled it out. "Don't worry
Akane. It's nothing, really," he grinned nervously.
Akane glared suspiciously, "Are you two still fighting over Ranko?"
They both shook their heads insistently. Shampoo was suddenly at
their side, "Stupid Mousse and Lost Boy better leave Ranko alone!"
"You know I can't do that!" Mousse frowned, tracking by voice to
look at Shampoo. "I will wait for her to recover, but after that, I
will fight her. You cannot interfere, Shampoo."
"Why you be like this, Mousse? Mousse know no can beat Ranko! She
too too strong for weak boy like you!" Shampoo twisted her question
into a taunt.
"We shall see, Shampoo. We shall see," Mousse turned and dragged
Ryouga outside, leaving Akane and Shampoo to look at each other.
"So, what Kitchen Destroyer do now?" Shampoo demanded.
"Me?" Akane straightened, tucking her fists behind her back as she
checked her anger at the constant insult Shampoo named her with. "I
am going to go eat breakfast and then I am going to school. Oh,"
Akane added, just before walking out of the dojo, "just a thought,
Shampoo. Ranko's all girl now. To get rid of you, all she has to do
is stay that way. What do you think your council will make of that?"
Shampoo stood there and gaped as Akane exited. "What that suppose to
mean?" she whined.
"It means, dear child, you might want to think twice about harassing
Ranko to be a man by throwing yourself at her constantly," Cologne
observed, having followed Shampoo over to keep her from coming to
blows with Mousse. From the way he had been acting, Mousse might no
longer meekly accept one of Shampoo's beatings, and if he chose to
defend himself, a matrimonial battle might quickly result. Whatever
his shame, if an amazon warrior attacked him and he succeeded in
defeating her, the result was valid and his shame was absolved. He
might not have to win Ranko to achieve his ultimate goal. "Come
along, Shampoo. We have a business to run."
"What about Mousse?"
"I believe Mousse will be focused on training for a while, and it
would be best if the two of you had a break from each other. Now,
let's stop dawdling." Brooking no further argument, she ushered the
girl to their home. That left Nabiki, Ranko and their fathers, one
of whom was leaning over the other and uttering empty platitudes to
soothe his pain.
"Hey, Pop? Why don't you have a special technique to defend against
that? You know, like Fierce Gophers Tunneling Under Earth Technique,
or Majestic Mountain Oyster Harvest Leaping Frog Defense? Huh? Huh?"
Ranko prodded the fallen man, gesturing expansively to illustrate
the hypothetical techniques, grinning evilly. Nabiki tabulated the
various remarks and statements she had overheard and decided she was
rubbing off on too many people. They were beating her to all the
good lines! With a sigh of frustration, and a wry grin, she grabbed
Ranko and dragged her inside for breakfast.
-------------------------
There are certain moments in people's lives when waking up is a
truly horrifying prospect. Given the memories Ranma and Fa Shen
shared, it would seem that this should be a familiar feeling, but
without a doubt, they were now experiencing the worst version of
this phenomenon. In fact, as they blinked and wondered if Dr. Tofu
had really overheard their conversation, it seemed impossible to
imagine a worse prospect than having to explain themselves to him.
Naturally, they were wrong. The diminutive form bouncing around with
big eyes, repeatedly demanding, "Is it true!? Is it true!?" proved
that whatever Happosai had lost to age, hearing was not on the list.
Blacking out a second time was definitely called for, and when they
were roused by Tofu again, they were much better prepared for the
coming ordeal. They refused to comment on what the two men overheard
until Happosai swore to listen to the full explanation and never,
ever, betray their confidence. If he did, the next time he was
incapacitated the pair promised they would use the opportunity to
finish him off for good. With little hope that would keep him in
check, they proceeded to explain what really happened when Ranma was
cursed, and how Ranma and Fa Shen had finally emerged from Ranko's
shadow.
"So, let me see if I understand this," Happosai interrupted, seeming
to have entered his serious mode. Pointing at Fa Shen, he began,
"Fifteen hundred years ago, you were drowned at Jusenkyo, creating
the Nyanniichaun." Pointing at Ranma, he continued, "This was your
original form, and because Ranma is a reincarnation of you, you were
able to possess him and escape your grave. But, Ranma fought and the
two of you slipped into some sort of coma, and Ranko was born. Even
though she was a combination of both of you, she thought she was
Ranma until this mirror thing let her shake off his identity. Now,
last night, you," he pointed back at Fa Shen, "woke up, you fought
Ranko for control of her body and dragged her down where the two of
you found and released Ranma." He turned back to the girl and
frowned, "Okay, so, why did you end up the girl, while Fa Shen,
here, become the boy?"
"It was an accident. The mirror left some connection in Ranko's mind
to the reflections. When we found the echoes, we assumed... well, I
assumed I had found Ranma," Fa Shen explained, jerking a thumb at
Ranma. "Instead, I sort of passed through the image and ended up in
this body."
"I see. I take it you can't switch back?" Happosai asked. Ranma
shook her head and Fa Shen explained how they had carried their ki
with them and left Ranko on the brink of death. Without them to
recharge her ki, it could take her years to recover from their
separation. "Ah! Well, I might be able to help you there! I know a
little something about charging up ki!" Happosai puffed up proudly.
"Uh, actually, we already found a solution," Ranma blushed. The two
men looked at her in surprise and urged her to explain. With a sigh,
she tried, "Well, I woke up sorta like Fa Shen did, but, uh... under
some special circumstances. I didn't think anything of it until I
got home and accidentally dumped some ki I had freed up into Ranko.
I didn't know I had done it, but when she asked me to think of
anything I had done to generate the extra ki, I sorta suspected the
answer, and I went and tested somethin' to see if I was right."
Happosai was frowning in thought. He casually laid a hand on Ranma's
knee and suddenly jerked in surprise. He turned to stare at her, and
she blushed, having expected him to figure it out. He was a rabid
pervert after all! "Ranma-chan! You didn't!?" the old man drooled.
"It wasn't my idea, I sorta popped in to something that was, er,
already goin' on. That doesn't change the fact that it is the
solution to the problem, and since Ranko uses ki from both of us,
it's sort of follows that Fa Shen and I have to do that to heal
her," Ranma admitted somewhat shamefully.
Dr. Tofu, however, had not jumped to any conclusions. He could put
it all together, but he wanted it out in the open. "What, exactly,
do you and Fa Shen have to do to heal Ranko, Ranma?"
"We have to have sex together," Fa Shen answered for the girl.
Tofu looked them both in the eye, and saw the honesty behind the
embarrassment and fear. He closed his eyes and ran through his pool
of knowledge, making adjustments for the situation. A few moments
later, he came back from his reverie and met their eyes again. "I
can see how this would be an effective way to generate a surplus of
ki and transfer it to Ranko. However, a common rule of thumb in
medicine is, just because the medicine might work are you required
to administer it?" He held up a hand to stall protest. "The human
body is an amazing thing, and it is far better at healing itself
than any outside treatment can compare to in most cases. This is
sort of an extended case of that, since the best solution is a
natural one. My point is, just because you can do this, does not
mean you must do this. There are other concerns you need to
address," Tofu insisted.
"That sounds like you're worried about us, doc," Ranma noted. "Not
that I don't appreciate that, it's just... I can't stand to see Ranko
so weak and vulnerable! As a martial artist, I have to help if I
can. It's not like it's that big a sacrifice, since I've already
done it once, and there was nothing I coulda done to prevent it. The
worst has already happened."
Fa Shen noticed the underlying hurt, but was more surprised by the
note of confusion. It was as if the worst had been, well,
unexpectedly far from bad. Hesitantly, he asked, "Did... did you enjoy
it?" Ranma immediately flushed to her roots, her face matching the
shade of her hair almost perfectly.
Tofu laughed gently, "Ranma, truly it is nothing to be ashamed of.
The body is wired for specific sensations--hot, cold; pain,
pleasure--and a healthy mind naturally responds to them
appropriately." He composed himself and restated his position, "I am
not suggesting that there is anything wrong with either of you
having sex. I suspect you will enjoy that, since you can hardly help
yourselves. I merely point out that this is a, ah, highly unusual
situation. Because the pair of you are unwillingly switched to the
opposite sex, this activity could easily damage your psyches and
leave scars that will never heal. Since the solution to your own
problems is to assume a variation of the original curse, and you
might always be faced with having two sexes, there is a fair chance
that you would eventually engage in sex in your present forms. The
only way that can be healthy is if you choose to take that step for
your own reasons. If you feel forced into it, you can easily regret
it. Don't you agree, Ranma-chan?"
Ranma gave him a grieved look. "I'm not really that upset about
havin' sex. But you're right. I sorta wish I had a choice, but I'm
also sorta glad I didn't. I'm more worried that I kinda like it and
wanna do it again... but maybe I shouldn't. I think I can still be a
man, but I doubt anyone else would see it that way if they knew!"
Tofu leaned toward her and smiled, "Personally, I agree with you,
Ranma. I don't see any reason why being a fully functional woman
would keep you from being a fully functional man. At least not when
there is an ability like your old curse involved. Every vehicle has
it's particular benefits and limitations, but a skilled pilot, so to
speak, is comfortable at the controls of any one that suits his
needs." He straightened and took in Fa Shen as well, "However, I am
not one to encourage anyone to recklessly attempt something they
have not properly considered. There are inherent dangers in becoming
sexually active, for anyone, and not just you two."
Ranma smirked, "Yeah, I got that from my Mom too. I got panicked and
rushed int... what am I talkin' about!? Damn, fell into the memories
again." She frowned and thought for a moment, then shrugged, "What
the hell, they're my memories now. This girl," she gestured to
herself, "rushed into having sex. Thanks to Mom, we used protection.
I'm not gonna get pregnant if I can help it."
"That is only one danger, Ranma-chan. Some of the dangers can be
dealt with through similar precautions, such as preventing disease.
Since you two are both healthy, as is Ryouga, that is not a major
concern. However, there are also social considerations," Tofu
pointed out. "I suppose it's more a matter of perception here, since
you are versions of the same being. Still, to most people the pair
of you having sex would be considered incest."
The couple shouted, with wide, staring eyes, "INCEST!?"
"But, of course you might think of it as closer to masturbation,"
Tofu modified, emphasizing that any medical professional would
assert that was a normal and healthy activity, he pushed on.
"Certainly, you have lived different lives, but... You technically
share the same body and soul. That said, it really isn't anyone
else's business what you do together."
"Quite so, Tofu, my boy!" Happosai crowed. With a shrug and a wicked
look he added, "Not that it isn't human nature for people to poke
their noses in things that aren't any of their business, especially
around here!" With a wild cackle, he started rubbing Ranma's knee
imagining his favorite female in some rather explicit fantasies.
Ranma, and to an even more violent degree, Fa Shen, shuddered and
attempted to squash the dirty old man like a bug. Said bug twisted
and hopped, giving each of his assailants a tiny nudge, and suddenly
Ranma and Fa Shen found themselves in a rather compromising
position. Looking up at Fa Shen, Ranma squeaked in dismay.
"Ah! Would you get off! You're squishing... Kyaaaa! That's sensitive!"
"I know!!! Waaaaah! I'msorry! I'msorry! Ahhh! So's that!"
"Like I don't know that!"
"Aren't they the perfect couple!?" Happosai purred.
"You are not helping, Happosai," Tofu frowned. Reaching out, he
wrested Fa Shen's ankle and flipped him off of Ranma. "Now, as I was
saying, it is important the two of you think about what you're
planning and, unless it's something you're both comfortable with,
and you take the necessary precautions, I suggest you find some
other way to help Ranko."
"Well, there's another problem," Ranma sighed, sitting up and
straightening her pajamas. "You see, Ranko and me are suddenly
amazons 'cuz of Fa Shen, and Mousse challenged Ranko to a marriage
duel. He can't do anything 'til she's back to normal, but he has as
long as that takes to train. When he really puts his mind to it,
he's actually pretty good, and you remember what happened when he
fought me when I had the C-C-Cat's Tongue on me."
Tofu blinked and sighed. "I see. That would make healing Ranko a
priority. If I have reservations about young people rushing into
sex, that is nothing compared to the feelings I have about them
being rushed into marriage. People need the time and freedom to grow
up at a healthy pace," he rubbed his hands over his face. While he
had much respect for the amazons and their culture, it would do them
a lot of good to come out of the stone age in a number of respects.
"Unless Happosai has some suggestions for an alternative method, I
will have to leave the matter of you two proceeding to your own
judgment. Happosai?" he turned to the tiny martial-arts master.
"I am afraid there's nothing as safe or efficient that I could
suggest, short of natural healing. Nothing I could offer would be as
quick. A few hot nights in the sack, and bam! Ranko will be back to
normal! Can't beat that with all the shiatsu slight of hand in the
world!" Happosai grinned. He rubbed his hands and held them out
toward the couple in anticipation, as if he were warming them before
a fire.
They looked at him with nervous laughter. As luck would have it,
this was the man fate seemed to have chosen to act as their
chaperone. To prove this, Happosai brought up the next big problem.
"Well, it would not do for you kiddies to be caught in the act so,
what now? We need to think of a nice, private place where you can go
to work and fear no interruptions!" Ranma and Fa Shen cringed in
terror. Happosai hunched over in thought, before jumping up and
holding up the compact in triumph. "It's perfect! We'll put you two
in here and I'll guard it so no one goes in or out until it's safe!"
"Where did you get that?"
"What? Well, this little toy has proven itself to be an all to
convenient way for certain people to stick me out of the way. Do you
honestly think I'd leave it just laying around? Certainly not!" he
scolded them.
They exchanged suspicious looks and demanded, "What's to keep you
from tryin' to peak on us and getting trapped inside with us? Huh?
Then what?" Shaking their heads, they declared, "No way. Not a
chance, you sick pervert!"
"Good heavens! You wound me!" Happosai clutched his heart. Flipping
the compact in the air and tucking it back in his gi, he shrugged,
"It's not like I can't imagine it just as well, and honestly, I
can't do anything with sexual energy. I could hardly sort the male
energy from the female energy, and, personally, the amount of ki
that is freed up that way is a million times greater than the
residue I normally handle." He shuddered, remembering the
debilitating effects of Fa Shen's chi attack. The amount of residual
female ki in that attack had probably added twenty years to his
life.
"Huh?"
"I mean, it'll be hard enough dealing with the energy that seeps out
through the mirror. I would not want to be in there with you. For
all I know, that much energy would make me explode," Happosai
giggled. What a way to go!
"Wouldn't that mean..."
"...that using female ki to sustain himself..."
"...he made it so he can..."
"...never have sex?"
"It's like listening to twins," Tofu grinned.
"Why do you think I avoid Cologne whenever possible, and annoy the
hell out of her whenever she gets close?" Happosai demanded.
"You find Cologne attractive?" Ranma twitched.
Happosai scowled, "Listen, you little whippersnapper! She and I go
way back! Besides, it's sort of a matter of scale. What am I
supposed to do with a young woman like yourself with boobs bigger
than I am!?"
"Gah! Don't even ask! I don't wanna accidently picture it!" the pair
cringed. After a moment, they looked at each other and gaped, "Hey!
We're in sync! How the hell...?"
"Ranma's memories," Happosai yawned. "Get used to it."
"Ranko's memories!" they corrected primly.
"A technical distinction after the fact," the old man waved it off.
Whipping out the compact again he grinned, "So, you kids ready to
rock and roll?" He cracked it open and flashed the mirror in their
direction. Ranma, Fa Shen and Tofu all flinched and averted their
eyes.
"Would you put that away?"
"If you not getting anything out of it, what are you in such a hurry
for?"
"You are really, really not helping, Happosai."
"Hey, who said I'm not getting anything out of it! When was the last
time I passed on having a pocket full of mischief? I'm doing my
civic duty to corrupt the youth, I am standing up for the sexual
revolution!"
"That was almost forty years ago, and it was on another continent to
boot! It really is a wonder that no one's managed to kill you yet,
Happosai," Tofu rolled his eyes.
Happosai looked up at the sky, "Young people today! They have no
sense of humor!" He put the mirror away again and composed himself,
"Look, I'm a crazy old goat, but I earned that the old fashioned
way. When you reach my age you learn to appreciate secret plots and
intrigue and do your part to keep things interesting. I'm the last
person anyone can be expected to trust, which in turn makes me one
of the best people to trust. You wanna do this thing, I'm there to
help. Just because I think you should enjoy yourself to the fullest,
get as much mileage out of it as you can, doesn't mean I'm not
taking this seriously. You need to learn to bend the rules, kids!
That's what makes the game interesting! Those fools, Genma and Soun,
never could learn that lesson."
There were no coherent replies.
"Hell, you too, Dr. Tofu! You're a fine, upstanding, professional
young man, but you're wound so tight your brains squirt out your
ears the minute you lay eyes on a pretty skirt and you find yourself
thinking unlawful things," the little troll accused. "I can see your
problem, son, and let me tell you, that little problem with ethics
you seem to have concerning one of your patients? Well, that problem
could be solved by finding Kasumi another doctor, don't you think?"
There was no response from behind the doctor's suddenly frosted
glasses. The moment he wandered away to "consult" with Betty-chan,
the other three cleared the room as fast as possible.
"It's kind of a shame. He had himself under control almost the whole
time he was at the dojo," Fa Shen commented, out on the sidewalk.
"What was that about 'ethics'?" Ranma asked Happosai.
"Oh. Some little bit of nonsense about how doctors should not treat
members of their own family, or have too familiar thoughts about
their patients. For such a bright lad, he does seem to have a Tendo
shaped blind-spot."
"Oh..." the couple droned in bemusement.
"Still, it serves to illustrate the point, kids. If you get all
worked up about 'doing the wrong thing' you can lose sight of what
the right thing to do is. People are not bonsai trees, you know.
It's not in their best interest to be pruned and stunted by years of
pointless restriction. It's bad for anyone, but especially bad for a
martial artist!" he lectured.
"You know, there are rare moments when you actually sound like a
real sensei, Old Goat!" Ranma accused almost fondly. With a light
chuckle, she began leading the way back to the Tendo Dojo. Her inner
clock had announced it was time for breakfast, and that overruled
all other thought.
-------------------------
Nodoka had eagerly thrown herself into making breakfast. The things
she had learned the previous evening, and that morning, had shaken
her deeply. What she had learned was enough to see that a wall of
protection had been erected around her son by his friends and
fiancées, all trying to defend him against the promise that the
mother held over the son. On one hand, it spoke well for her son
that the people who loved him would go to such lengths to preserve
him, but that they felt it necessary said that there was something
terribly wrong with him. It had been revealed that this curse,
binding him to Ranko and Ranneko, was responsible for at least
outwardly compromising his manhood. As far as that went, an external
influence was not a factor in determining his manliness, as long as
it was just that. She admitted, she might not have believed such a
curse possible, and, if not for the effects she had witnessed in the
twin girls, she would have been quick to dismiss it as foolishness.
She found she believed in this curse, whatever it was, and since it
seemed to have its impact on the minds of those affected, it truly
concerned her. Not as much as the possibility that he should have
been her daughter, however.
All through the meal, a scene of uncommon silence, she had toyed
absently with her hair. Occasionally, she reached into her pocket
and felt the bottle she now kept there. She had heard the amazons
leaving and stopped Cologne to beg for the bottle. The old woman had
been unwilling to give it at first, but Nodoka had insisted, hefting
her bundled katana and declaring that, as a last resort, she would
rather use the antidote as a final test of her son's manhood, if he
did not measure up in all other respects. A living daughter was far
preferable to a dead son, and Cologne had agreed.
Occasionally, she found her attention focused on Ranko. The girl ate
her meal quietly and slowly, forced by her weakness to show an
approximation of good manners for the first time in memory, without
prompting from Nodoka herself. Whenever the girl glanced at Mousse,
the amazon boy sitting next to Ryouga, she betrayed a troubled look
of concern and annoyance. Her appraisal of Ryouga, the boy who
supposedly had a crush on Ranko, there was more hesitation and
uncertainty. A faint longing, suggested by the slightest of blushes.
Oddly, she had a similar reaction to Akane, slightly better hidden
because that girl was sitting attentively beside her and offering
every assistance she could.
Nodoka wondered if she was catching a glimpse of the curse's effect,
a hint of Ranma's feelings toward Akane projected through the red-
haired girl. Nodoka suddenly ached to speak to her son, to hear from
his own mouth what he was going through and how he felt. Closing her
eyes, she silently prayed to the powers above to be granted her
greatest wish. If only she could be reunited with him. If only all
these troubling questions could be laid to rest.
As usual, there was no reply from the heavens, and soon enough Akane
and Nabiki were gathering their things and preparing to leave for
school. The two boys went out into the yard to spar and Ranko
dragged herself to the engawa to watch. Soun lured Mr. Panda to the
corner of the room and they started to play shogi--truly an amazing
thing to watch, when she thought about it. With a heart felt sigh,
Nodoka decided it was time to go home. She quietly excused herself,
begging Kasumi to bid her farewells. With her family honor blade
resting in the crook of her arm, she drifted to the genkan and
slipped on her shoes. Just as she was about to open the shoji
enclosing the main entrance to the house, it swept open to reveal
Ranko's twin, a gnarled dwarf of a man she sensed she should
recognize on sight, and a young man she had only seen in flashes or
in dreams.
Fa Shen turned from making some comment to Ranma and found himself
staring into Nodoka's eyes. However, the brilliant hue of the hair
framing her face shook off all thoughts that might have come from
Ranma, because there was only one person Fa Shen knew who looked
like the woman before her. In a startled, heart wrenching voice, he
breathed, "Mother..."
Nodoka gasped, catching that one word. "Ranma..."
Ranma gulped and shouted in artificial joy, "Auntie Saotome!" At the
same time, she elbowed the boy next to her in the ribs, hard.
Praying for all she was worth for him to realize who he was speaking
to, she prattled on, "Why, are you going home so soon!?"
As intended, she drew Nodoka's attention to herself.
"Ran... Ranneko! You found my son! Oh, thank you! Thank you!" she
reached out and grabbed the two teens and dragged them into the
house. Bearing a grin to rival Death's unforgiving smile, Ranma knew
that the deadly trap she had been dodging for months, in recently
acquired hindsight, had finally closed its jaws on her. With a
fearful glance, she studied Fa Shen, seeing the shock and
understanding battle on his face as it became clear that he had not
miraculously been reunited with his mother, and that he now had to
convince Ranma's mother that he was her son, and a Man-Among-Men. A
strong memory of how fast Ranma had been dressed in white,
ceremonial roles and presented with the instrument of his demise,
made it very clear how critical the next few moments were.
Nodoka was calling out to everyone, announcing "Ranma's" arrival.
For one eternal moment, it was possible to hear the heart beat of
the Earth through the silence, then there was a storm of feet
rushing to converge on the Tea Room. As Ranma approached and helped
Ranko take a seat at the table, she mouthed, "What is she still
doing here?" Ranko pressed her lips into a tight white line to keep
anything from coming out of her mouth as she faintly shook her head.
Fa Shen was escorted to the table and seated by Nodoka, who kept his
hand in an iron grip. Nodoka, pleased by what she could see up
front, a strong, healthy, handsome young man, turned and hugged him
as if he was he only link to life. Fa Shen, instantly identifying
with the woman and her loss, returned the hug, opening his mind to
the inherited memories. If at all possible, Fa Shen had to be Ranma,
for as long as it took for Ranma to reclaim his rightful place.
There was no alternative at this point.
Ranma, for her part, wanted to curl up and die. The reunion with her
mother that she had craved for so long, the chance to prove herself
a man, had been suddenly stripped away. It took all her willpower
not to scream in denial, shout out the truth, and shove Fa Shen away
from her mother. It did not leave enough to stop the tears that
immediately spilled down her cheeks. Unable to achieve a similar
release, Ranko looked up at Akane and Nabiki, both frozen where they
had entered the room. Akane was tearing up and biting her lip, but
Nabiki looked like someone had stabbed her in the gut. The mercenary
middle sister turned to stare at Ranma and choked at the powerful
emotions ripping over the former boy's face.
Releasing Fa Shen from the hug, but not letting go of him, she
cried, "Oh, Ranma! I am so happy to see you at last! Where is your
father!?"
Fa Shen's eyes flicked over to the panda, frozen in horror at the
shogi table, and returned his gaze to Nodoka. "Uh, he... P-Pop i-is...
p-pr-practicin' st-strategy a-and t-tactics," he stammered.
Nodoka was distracted by an unpleasant pressure on her chest.
Looking down slowly, she met the large, dewy eyes of Happosai and
shrieked. Automatically, Fa Shen grabbed him by the head and twisted
him off of Nodoka's breast and slammed him down hard on the table.
The old man's eyes bulged out from the impact, but he popped out of
the boy's hand and dusted himself off casually.
"Good morning, Nodoka!" he grinned. "It has been some time, hasn't
it?" He casually dodged a number of blows from Fa Shen, and a few
thrown in by Ranma as well, and his smile widened. "That's a real
fine boy you have there. The finest martial artist of his
generation, I dare say. I honestly can't believe Genma managed it!"
"I thought you had been buried alive, Old Man," Nodoka grated
dangerously, slipping her katana free of it's wrapping. She rose to
her feet, about to unsheathe the sword, when the conversation with
"Ranneko" in the bath the night before suddenly came back to her. To
help Ranko, Ranma was forced to do something Nodoka could never
forgive, something his manhood might not survive. Looking down at
the infamous pervert, Nodoka gasped. She glanced at "Ranma" and
"Ranneko" and realized they had arrived with her husband's ancient
Master. "It's you, isn't it? You're the help Ranma needs to heal
Ranko!?" she accused, drawing the blade and parking it's razor tip
under Happosai's nose.
Happosai almost sliced himself, folding over and laughing with
delight. "It's true! It is so true! Absolutely amazing, Nodoka! I
just can't put one over on you, can I?"
"Oh, merciful heaven..." Only the fact that Genma had risen up against
the hideous little troll and sealed him away in a cave had kept
Nodoka from dissolving their marriage years ago. There were few
things Nodoka hated as much as the despicable old pervert. That
Ranma might be forced to indenture himself to the same warped man as
Genma, to secure his aid, might indeed be an insult to his manhood
Nodoka could not forgive. He had left her husband a mere shell of a
man, a man who could abduct her only child and abandon his wife if
she did not agree to his flimsy contract. A man she missed deeply.
With a heart wrenching sob, she challenged, "Has my son accepted you
as his sensei!?"
While Happosai grudgingly frowned and said "No" Ranma, Ranko and Fa
Shen shouted an ear splitting "Absolutely not!"
Nodoka cringed back and studied the three. All three had bolted to
their feet, standing rigid with fists clenched and faces in fury,
holding identical poses, down to the tremor in their bodies, until
Ranko collapsed from exhaustion. "Oh my. You three really are tied
together, aren't you?" she asked in bewildered relief. Turning to
"Ranma" she asked, "My son. Have you asked Happosai to help you heal
Ranko?"
Fa Shen scratched his head and shrugged, "No. Ran... er, Ranneko and I
explained what needed to be done to Dr. Tofu, and he kinda butted in
and volunteered to help."
Nodoka relaxed a bit. Turning to Soun, she demanded, "Can you
explain what he is doing here, Soun?"
"Ah, well, you see. H-he is my M-Master. When he e-escaped from his
prison, he came back and... well... I can't make him go away!" Soun
sobbed.
"Why, Soun! I am hurt! When I came back, my room was just as I had
left it, aside from the dutiful maintenance of dear, sweet Kasumi!"
he turned affectionate eyes on the eldest daughter and fluttered his
eyelashes. Turning back, "I think that says something about the
dutiful student. Quite a different story from the way I am treated
in Saotome's home!"
"Should you dare to enter it again, I will fulfill my promise to
you, Old Man! You are an evil, monstrous predator, and you taint all
those you touch! You should know I cannot allow my son to fall under
your sway!" she declared.
"Nodoka-chan... As always, you are overreacting."
"That my son rejects your personal authority speaks well of him. The
heavens know it was you who brought my fiancé low, and then, as my
husband, broke him. I know you, Happosai, and if he has the courage
to thwart you, he is a better man than I had hoped."
Fa Shen gave an evil grin. "You mean you approve of me kickin' his
ass!?" He rubbed his hands together and a strange aura began to fill
the air. Happosai instantly stiffened in fear. He had sensed it only
once before, but he knew damn well what that signaled.
"Uh, now, uh... 'Ranma'! There's no need for that!" he placated.
Seeing him squirm, Nodoka smiled. The old letch was actually afraid
of her son. That was something to make a mother proud!
"Showoff," Ranma hissed at Fa Shen.
Happosai scowled. He did not care to see Nodoka butcher her family,
but, this was an insult to his pride. In a low tone, he uttered a
warning, "Fa Shen..." No need to be too obvious, he chuckled. That
should be enough to make the boy toe the line.
Nodoka frowned. "Fa Shen...? Wha- Who is that?"
Ranma instantly jumped up, "Uh! Me! I am Fa Shen!"
Nodoka's frown evolved into a scowl. "Ranneko... this is no time for
games," she warned, pushing the point.
"It's not a game." Ranma turned to Happosai, "You're not going to
use the contract to manipulate us anymore. You wanna play that way?
Fine. Let's play!"
"Oooohhh! Really!?" Happosai took on an evil grin. "So, maybe you
want to explain to your mother what 'Ranma' has to do to heal Ranko?
Hmmm?" he taunted. The room temperature plummeted as two people
summoned the soul of ice. "Well, Ranma? Do you want to tell her? Or
shall I?"
Nodoka stepped forward, "Her name is Ranneko. I know about the
curse, so don't think you can confuse me!"
"Ah! So! But, I thought she was Fa Shen!" he played innocent and
turned to the boy. "I guess that makes you Fa Shen, then doesn't
it?" Fa Shen snarled and placed her hands together, gathering a ball
of chi.
"Whoops, looks like I pissed her off! We can pick up this lovely
chat again some other time, then!" he darted around the room, making
for the open door, almost to freedom, when Ranko lurched into his
path and collared him.
"You sick old man! You're worse than Pops! Stirrin' up trouble and
then runnin' away! Not this time!"
Still, Nodoka knew how he worked. He caused so much trouble, because
he always knew how to twist the truth. His threats always had
something substantial behind them. "Ranma?" she was afraid to ask,
but better to hear it from him. "What do you have to do to heal
Ranko?"
Happosai, twisted out of Ranko's grasp, and with a touch, dropped
her to the floor. Hopping onto her belly and taking up a fighting
pose, he shouted gleefully, "Come on, 'Ranma'," he winked at the
real Ranma, "tell Mother! She would want to know who her 'little
BOY' is sleeping with, yes!?"
"That does it!" a general shout, as this taunting finally became
insulting. As one, the fighters in the room surged forward. As one,
they suddenly realized who would take the punishment if they missed
Happosai. Ranko was laying helpless beneath his feet.
"Heh. Last chance to apologize, Ranma!"
"Hey, Happosai!" Ranma shouted.
"Yes, my sweet?"
"Don't forget our promise. You go down, you die!"
"Ah, life's no fun if you play it safe!" he proceeded to laugh like
he was having the time of his life. "Go on, Nodoka! Ask your 'son'
what 'he' needs to do. What 'he' WANTS to do!"
Nodoka shook with anger at being played. She looked at her son,
pleading silently, wondering what lay behind the cold mask that hid
his emotions. Fa Shen risked a glance at Ranma. Ranma, standing
behind Nodoka, sighed and gave a slight nod. Fa Shen stiffened and
opened his mouth to speak.
"Ranma has to sleep with Fa Shen," Mousse suddenly interrupted.
"It's the only way to generate ki for Ranko. It's the only way to
heal the damage, now that the curse is broken."
Happosai sagged. "Now, why did you have to put it like that?" he
complained, jumping off of Ranko and getting in the blind martial-
artist's face. "You took all the fun out of it! No wonder Cologne
doesn't like you! You're a spoil sport!" he poked the boy in the
chest three times. The third time, he stuffed one of his trademark
bombs inside Mousse's robes and bounded away. The explosion caused
the boy's robes to puff out like a tent and billow as smoke and wind
poured violently out through the openings. Mousse was rocked and
blackened by the blast, but remained on his feet.
Nodoka, having recovered her voice by this point, blinked and
begged, "I'm sorry. Who is Fa Shen, again?"
As Ranma raised her hand, everyone else pointed feverishly at her.
"Me. I am," she said. Happosai bounded around to behind Fa Shen, and
cupping his mouth conspiratorially mouthed "him" and pointed at the
boy accusatively. Ranma glared and went on, "Ranneko is just
something we came up with on the spot last night, since they didn't
know who I was." She punctuated this with a meaningful look at the
others. "Anyway... I am the reason that, um... Ranko and Ranma were
cursed. Aheh, I guess you could say, I am the curse," which, if she
had been Fa Shen, was quite true. At the very least, she was laying
the ground work to tell the complete truth, once she and Fa Shen
were cursed back to normal. There was a relieved sigh from the
crowd, as they realized how Ranma had put the cat back in the bag.
Truly, she was the last person anyone would expect to be able to do
that!
From the ground came the plaintive voice of Ranko, "Uh, guys? Since
the old goat isn't standing on top of me at the moment, could you
PLEASE go kill him now?" With that, she gave into the shock of what
she had just learned. She could not believe Ranma and Fa Shen were
willing to do THAT just to help her heal. Imagining how that
knowledge could have been used against Ranma, she shuddered and
covered her face. She did not bother to think much after that,
because the sounds of battle suddenly filled the room.
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End of Part Thirty-Three
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