Genma Saotome woke with the sun as he always had for as long
as he could remember. He stood, letting the blankets slide off of
his immense furred belly and stretched several times to work the
kinks out of his muscles.
He pulled his gi out, and layed it on the dresser beaureu
along with a light colored bandanna. Gathering those, and his bath
things together, he made his way through the narrow hall and down
the stairway to the bathroom. Several minutes later, he emerged
clean and human, and ready for his morning sparring session for his
son, just like he always had for as long as he had had Ranma.
But Ranma wasn't in the guest room, and hadn't been for over a
month.
It just wasn't the same. Genma sighed and went down to
breakfast.
Kasumi had made a lovely combination of rice, misu, and baked
fish. He ate with relish, but wasn't able to finish what was on his
plate. He hadn't for several days now. It just wasn't the same
without Ranma. He breifly considered snagging a slice of pickled
daikon from Tendou-kun's plate, just for fun. The fatherly martial
artist was buried deep in his paper, however, and wouldn't even
notice the theft.
Genma sighed and ate one last slice of his own pickle. "Say,
Tendou-kun, how do you feel about going to the park to play shogi
today."
"Mmm..." Souun nodded and turned a page in the paper. "Rice is
up again. Amazing how well the economy is doing after such
depression."
"Father, Uncle Saotome, are you done?"
Genma sighed and nodded as Kasumi took his plate.
"Hey, everybody, how do I look?"
It was Akane. Genma sighed as he took in her outfit. As she
had most days since Ranma left, she wore black. Today it was a black
leotard and tights with a short black skirt. She said she was
'mourning her engagement'. It was obvious, however, that she had
already given up on his son and moved on to greener pastures. She
was gone until nine or later every night, "Studying," she always
said.
He had also accidentally overheard once how her new boyfriend
liked her in black.
"Akane!" Kasumi exclaimed, "Your hair!" Apparently, the young
man also liked very short hair, because now, Akane's hair was only
about five or six inches long, carefully arranged in a very
fashionable page boy style. What kind of boy liked short hair on a
girl?
"I got up early and went to the stylist. How does it look?"
Nabiki sleepily gave her sister a 'thumbs up' and went back to
her homework. Kasumi set Genma's dirty plate back down and fussed
over Akane's hair for several minutes. It was obvious that it was a
very attractive style, but far too daring for the eldest girl's
taste.
Within an hour, all three girls had left. Kasumi went to the
market and both her sisters boarded a train for their school.
Soun continued to read the paper. Genma walked into the
kitchen and poured a cup of cold water over his head.
Shambling out into the living room, he turned on the small
television and stared at a gameshow.
*There's no dwelling on the past,* he told himself. You went
on from day to day, and fought for what you know is right. Right?
No, things just weren't the same.
* * *
Tofuu Ona stood in front of the jewelry store window gazing at
the myriad of junk jewelry, and the few precious items locked into a
plexiglass box. When he dared to go so far as the entrance of the
store, he could see several more of the long, gilded display
cabinets.
He kept telling himself that his future lay in one of those
cabinets, but he just couldn't bring himself to open the door and
walk inside.
*I must look like a criminal,* he thought, *Casing out the
target for a robbery.* He paced back and forth in front of the
store, avoiding making eye contact with its patrons and employees.
Once, he even went so far as to walk around the block. Telling
himself that he should just give up only made him frustrated. Within
minutes, he was back in front of the doorway. Cautiously, as if he
were to be shot for a wrong step, he opened the glass door and
stepped inside.
* * *
Ranma was having a difficult time concentrating on his
Psychology class. It wasn't that he had an easy time in *any* of his
classes, but he was having an exceptionally difficult time today.
It started with a bit of homesickness earlier that morning.
Ranma had never really had any home other than the Tendou house. He
could barely remember the place he lived in with his parents before
the training trip, and any place he stayed with his father since was
only temporary.
Ranma found that he missed the early morning bustle of the
Tendou home. Sparring with his father every morning, the loud,
sometimes violent conversation over breakfast, Running to school, or
the train station with Akane every morning.
Since he had moved out a month ago, all that was a thing of
the past. True, he saw Akane every day, but he had actually managed
to avoid all his enemies for the entire month. Life was becoming...
peaceful.
Peace was nice, but it was hell if you were trying to stay in
shape. Ranma felt like he was losing his tone. He still made every
step a balance excercise, just the way Oyaji had taught him when he
was six, he still did more calesthenics every morning than the most
rabid soldier, and he still participated in every contest he could
find. He rapidly found that without constant challenge from martial
artists of his own level or above, like Ryouga or Happosai, he was
losing his razor edge.
*Maybe I should hunt down Pig-boy and pick a fight,* He
thought as the professor drew a diagram on the black board. *Maybe
make a delivery order from the Nekohanten, and see what happens.*
Ranma smiled as he considered the chain reaction explosion of
violence that would happen if all his fiancees and enemies actually
managed to track him down.
He missed the end of class in his reverie. He noticed the
other students filing past him, and leapt up to join them.
Suddenly, he didn't have time to worry about his skill level
anymore. Today was the first day of his new job, and he had to be
there in an hour.
It wasn't martial arts, but it was something that he had
experience in, and considered himself skilled at.
* * *
Tofuu stared intensely at the selections of rings. He had to
select one, and he knew it. Every time he thought of the person he
wanted to give it to...
"Kasumi!"
The clerk looked at the odd man who was browsing her jewelry
display. He had been there for hours, ever since the beginning of
her shift. Every few minutes, his glasses would fog over and he
would shout that same name.
Finally, the man pointed at one, seemingly at random, and
gestured to the clerk. After taking it out of the case and handing
to him for closer inspection, she noticed that he held it like it
was about to explode. After a few seconds of careful examination, he
gingerly placed it backed on the counter in front of her.
"Is this the one you want?"
The man nodded maniacly. He looked like he was on drugs.
With some interest, she noted that it was one of the most
expensive rings in the display. The man had taste. He also was only
wearing a simple martial artist's gi. The kind of people who usually
bought that kind of ring came into her store wearing expensive
suits, and frequently had a limousine waiting just outside.
"Can you afford this? It is 300,000 yen, you know."
Still smiling that same insane grin, the man pulled several
items out of his pocket. His house keys, wallet, a plastic finger
bone, two buttons, a business card--
*Hmm... Tofuu Ono, Chiropractice and Shiatsu. Man's a doctor.
Looks like I make my commision today!*
-- a prescription tablet, a worn paperback novel, a
stethoscope, and thirty two 10,000 yen bills.
The clerk quickly rang up the sale in case the frazzled doctor
started wandering the shop again. "All set! Engraving is free with
purchase. Is there anything you want on the ring?"
The man's expression became terrified, but quickly manic again
as he pulled out a piece of paper.
The clerk read the paper, and almost started to cry. "To my
dearest Kasumi. I love you, and always have. Please be my wife."
"Ah, honey, this is just a little long to put inside one ring.
Can you shorten it?"
"Ah... Ah... I love you, Kasumi. Marry me?"
The girl smiled and went to work while the doctor sat down on
the floor and nervously began to pull up tile.
* * *
Megumi pondered her English homework over laundry. Laundry day
was the time she sat aside each week to do her non-design homework,
and she had plenty of it.
*ding*
The dryer politely informed her that her clothes were warm,
and hopefully non-soggy. She piled the mass of clothes into a
plastic basket, and made for the elevator that would take her back
to her floor. *Another load, another lesson,* she thought
sarcasticly.
When she reached the fifth floor, she spied a buxom redhead
coming in from the stairwell. The girl was wearing a waitress
uniform, a frilly white blouse, a short red skirt, and red pumps.
She seemed tired, as if she had just worked a full shift, which
Megumi reasoned was probably the case.
Megumi picked up a basket of laundry from just inside her
door, and started back for the laundry room. As Megumi turned to go
back down the elevator, the girl waved and smiled wanly at her and
let herself inside an apartment.
Megumi smiled back. *Must be a new tennant.*
Then, as the door closed, Megumi realized what was wrong. That
was *Ranma's* room!
She scampered back for her own room and grabbed a new
handlebar she had bought for her brother's motorcycle.
Several possibilities ran through her mind. The way the girl
was dressed could mean any of a dozen things. The two that seemed
the most likely were first, that the woman was a thief, masquerading
as a delivery girl, or she was one of the *other* fiancees.
Her eyes narrowed at the thought of the martial aritist
cheating on Akane. More than likely, the girl had tracked Ranma down
and was laying in wait for him, but Megumi had become good friends
with the drama student, and would be most displeased with her suite-
mate if he were to toss her over.
She decided on a simple course of action. She would walk in
with the handlebar behind her back, kindly ask what the girl was
doing there, and chase her from the apartment with the steel bar.
Nervously, she made her move. She darted in through the shared
bathroom and stepped out into Ranma's room.
"Oh, hi, Megumi. 'Sup?" The girl was sprawled out on Ranma's
futon, reading a manga. She had kicked her shoes off, and was
absently rubbing her stocking feet together. "How'd you do on your
test today?"
"Huh?" How did the girl know that she had taken a design test
today? For that matter, how did the girl know her name? "Who are you
and what are you doing in here?" Megumi considered bringing the
handlebar to bear, but decided to hold back in case the hussy was
armed.
"I live h... Oh. Hell, this looks awful, don't it?" The girl
smiled up at Megumi in what she assumed was meant to be a reassuring
fashion. "I can explain, really!"
"You better explain, or I'm going to make you wish you had!"
"Megumi, now..."
"Don't you 'now' me, Miss. Start talking!
"Okay. First, bring me a glass of hot water. Then I'll explain
everything." The girl cautiously stood to her full height. Megumi
got her first real look at her. She was about a hundred and sixty
centimeters tall, with flaming red hair and a slightly pouty
expression. She stood casually, with her hands on her hips like a
boy. While the girl appeared to be rather soft skinned, Megumi noted
a certain tenseness at her joints. With a sinking feeling she
remembered that all of Ranma's fiancees were skilled martial
artists. Megumi began to feel her grip on the handlebar loosen.
"Hot water?" She asked nervously.
The red head nodded.
Carefully keeping the girl in front of her, Megumi filled a
cup with warm water from the sink. She looked away for a second to
turn the faucet off, and when she looked back the girl had stripped
off her blouse, and was preparing to drop her skirt as well.
"Pervert! What do you think you're doing?" Without thinking,
Megumi brought the handlebar to bear against the girl.
Without so much as a breath, the girl's hand whipped out and
snatched handlebars away from her. "C'mon, Megumi. I ain't gonna
hurt you or nuthin'. Okay?"
Megumi started to tremble as the girl pulled her skirt down.
Oddly enough, the girl was wearing boxer shorts and a man's
undershirt under her uniform.
"Here, lemme have that and..." The girl took the full cup from
her and upended it over her head.
"Viola!" said Ranma as he rose to his full height.
Megumi fainted.
* * *
Genma watched the Tendou's prepare for an outing the next day.
The weather was starting to turn colder, so this would be the last
chance they would get to go to the beach this year.
They had asked him to come, but he really didn't feel much
like it. It was too hot, wet fur wasn't all that comfortable, and
sunscreen always turned his white fur to an odd shade of green.
Besides, Ranma wouldn't be there, so there would be little
opportunity to train.
He sighed and went back to his gameshow.
Kasumi smiled as she polished the table and looked out the
back at the sky above. The moon and stars were just starting to come
out. They were so beautiful, just like glittering diamonds.
Nabiki and Akane both came down the stairs in bikinis.
Nabiki's was a bright red color, with lace trim. It looked a little
much like lingerie for Kasumi's taste, but she smiled her approval.
Akane's was of course, black. Kasumi worried a bit about her
sister's sudden change of wardrobe, but apparently Ranma, and more
importantly Akane was happy with it. They were trying so hard to be
nice to eachother. The dark swimsuit really did go well with her new
hairstyle, as well. She wondered in the back of her mind if her
sister had invited Ranma. Dismissing the thought, She saw Akane
glance at the clock hanging behind her.
Akane's expression became a bit worried, and a little
expectant as she noted the time. Kasumi watched her little sister
run up the stairs. A few minutes later, she came down dressed in the
leotard and skirt she wore to school. Picking up her bookbag, she
ran out the door.
"Where is she going?" Nabiki wondered aloud.
"To study, of course," Kasumi answered, cheerily. She grinned
at the petulant expresion on Nabiki's face.
"Please!"
Ranma's departure had deprived her sister of her favorite
source of spending money. On top of that insult, She hadn't been
able to locate the martial artist when he wasn't at school, and
couldn't find out who Akane's 'New Boyfriend' was either. Nabiki had
been left out of the loop, and was not happy about the situation.
Someone would have to pay. If nothing else, her ongoing
investigation was getting expenseive.
"What Akane does is her own business, Nabiki. She's an adult,
now, you know."
"I don't buy it, Sis. She's up to something and you know it!"
"Akane's just maturing. You should respect that, Nabiki."
In their discussion, neither girl heard the nervous doctor
pacing back and forth in front of the dojo walls.
* * *
"It has to be a trick! You're an escape artist, or you have a
sister who knows..."
Ranma dumped the cup of cool water over his head. Almost
instantaneously, his tall, masculine form was replaced by that of
the young, redheaded beauty. She was wearing the same, wet
undershirt and boxers Ranma had been, and was adjusting the
drawstring.
Megumi heard a low moan come out of her throat. "This is
impossible!"
"If only it were," She answered sadly.
"What...?"
"I been stuck like this for almost four years. I've kinda had
to accept it."
"Who... are you?"
"Ranma. Who else. This is just my cursed form... you see--"
"CURSED FORM?!?!" Megumi shouted. "MAGIC?!?! IMPOSSIBLE!!!!"
"You all ready said that.
"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!"
Ranma shrugged in response. "Megumi--"
"I mean, it violates every physical law there is! You can't
just make thirty or forty kilograms dissapear that way!!! What about
Conservation of Mass?! What about the first law of
Thermodynamics?!?!"
"Megumi--"
"You can't expect me to just believe in 'magic' like some
fairy tale! It's insane!"
"Tell me about it. I don't know about all the physics or
chemistry or biology. I just know it happens. The only way I have to
explain it is 'magic'." She poured another cup of warm water over to
punctuate her statement.
Megumi was about to protest further, but the sad look on his
face halted her speech. "This is somehow your father's fault, isn't
it?"
Ranma smiled sardonically and nodded. "Bingo. It was about
three and a half years ago, at the tail end of my trainin' trip. Old
man had been looking for this mystic trainin' ground most of his
life, so when we found it, he didn't bother to read the signs, or
even listen to the guide. Just started fightin' over those damned
pools. He got Chaunmauniichaun, Spring of drowned panda. He gets
wet..."
"He turns into a panda bear. And you have...?"
"Nyaniichaun."
"Spring of drowned girl."
Ranma nodded. "Yup, so anytime I get wet, I change."
To demonstrate, Ranma poured a cup cold water over himself.
*Herself,* Megumi corrected. "I... don't--"
As if to cooberate his story, Akane let herself in and sat
down next to the red head as if nothing were out of the normal. She
looked as if she had been running.
"Hi, Ranma!"
"Yo, Akane. WOW! You get a haircut?!"
Akane's slim hand went to the short, delicate, sweeping
lengths of hair that now framed her face. "Do you like it? It's like
that hairstyle I showed you in the magazine last week."
Ranma nodded. "It looks great. What'd Kasumi say, though?"
"She was a little shocked, but I think she likes it."
Ranma nodded. "Sounds about right. How was the train ride?"
Almost experimentally, Megumi poured some warm water over
Ranma to gauge Akane's reaction.
Akane puffed a little. "I ran into Mousse on the train. I led
him back over to the high school. So far as I can tell, none of them
have even looked at this place yet."
Akane didn't so much as blink as Ranma shifted size and shape.
"How was Rehersal?" Ranma asked.
Feeling a little more relaxed, Akane ran her fingers through
her short hair, and stretched. "Same-old same-old. I think I'm going
to pound that sexist old creep, Miramora, if he doesn't quit
treating me like a moron. He directs like he's doing a first grade
play."
Megumi's jaw dropped open in shock. "This is absolutely normal
for you people, isn't it?"
"What?" Akane looked at her in baffelment.
Megumi poured another cup of cool water over the martial
artist. Akane shook her head but finally she got it. "Oh. She just
found out about the curse, didn't she?"
Ranma nodded, and returned to her manga.
In bemusement, Megumi entertained herself with a bucket of
cold water and a warm kettle. Ranma was obviously a little
irratated, but he bore the brunt of her bemused inspection with
grace.
What really fascinated her was Akane's reaction to her suite-
mate. She was able to treat the male Ranma completely the same as
the female. In fact, when she doused Ranma in the middle of a
sentance, Akane didn't bat so much as an eyelash as Ranma's voice
shifted octaves.
*What could be weirder?* She thought.
Ranma and Akane spent about an hour discussing what had
happened during the day at school. It was somthing that they did by
unspoken agreement to try and relieve their respective short
tempers. By venting about classmates and teachers, they managed to
avoid venting on each other.
Another facet of their conversation was that they did not
mention any of their rivals. Ranma's fiancees and Akane's suitors
were not discussed. Akane found that it was much easier to keep her
temper this way, and Ranma found that he had time to think about
what he wanted to say because he was much less defensive.
"So why's Yuki got the role if she can't do it right?" Ranma
asked.
*splash* Megumi poured cold water over her suitemate, trying
to examine exactly what was happening in a sickened manner. Ranma's
body merely flinched away from her. During the 'flinch' Ranma's skin
grew slightly paler, and the golden-copper highlights in his hair
spread and shifted so that the entire mop was a bright scarlet.
"The director has the hots for her, that's why!" Akane drew a
doodle of a man being impaled with a megaphone in her notebook.
"Seriously, Ranma. If you heard *half* the rumours about this
guy..."
"Hmmm... I have a pretty bad time with rumours myself, Akane.
You never know, the guy might just have a bad rep."
"I would be willing to beleive that if he wasn't such an ass.
I swear, he's even made a pass at me a few times!"
Megumi was fairly amused by the fact that Ranma, as a girl,
became quite defensive about Akane's statement. The redhead sat up
from her sprawl and loomed over Akane.
"Maybe I should go have a talk with this guy..."
Akane's eyes flashed, as did Ranma's. Something unsaid passed
between them, and Akane changed the subject. It was just too close
to their sore points.
"So, Ranma, are you having any trouble with the workout
facilites?"
*splash* The warm kettle did exactly the opposite of the
bucket. Ranma's body seemed to relax into its larger, more defined
state. His hair darkened as if the light were simply falling into
it.
Megumi considered borrowing the Kinetics department's high
speed camera to capture the transformation.
Ranma shook his head and settled back onto the futon. "Nah. I
was worried the managers would think I was being too rough on the
martial arts equipment, but nobody's complained. I think I'm
startin' to get some of the other tennants interested in martial
arts, though."
Megumi did her best to sifle a giggle. The other tennants were
'interested', all right. Ranma didn't really understand, but the
audience to his morning workout was composed mostly of girls who got
an illicit thrill out of watching the well built martial artist
excercise. She had even been invited once to the early morning
'Beefcake Revue' by one of her friends in the building.
"You know your father complains every morning that you're not
getting a proper workout becuase you're not there to spar with him."
*splash* Yes! Megumi would classify the transformation. She
would work the equations and clarify the situation until the 'curse'
was no longer a work of magic, but a scientific phenomenon.
Ranma nodded, "Thought so. Old man's just lonely for a fight.
That's all."
"What about you, Ranma? Don't you miss it, too?"
Ranma grimaced. "Not for a second."
Akane knew better. Ranma jumped if someone in the next room
said 'fight'. He was bored and lonely, and she knew it.
"Come on, Ranma. Who have you been sparring with every
morning, if not your father? When was the last time you practiced
the 'Moukou Takabishya'?"
Ranma's scowl intensified. "Can we talk about something else?"
Akane quickly tried to find something else to talk about. This
kind of conversation quickly led to an insult or a malleting. She
nodded in agreement. This was another one of their unspoken rules. An
uncomfortable silence fell across the room.
"Umm," Megumi interupted. "What's that?"
"What?" Ranma and Akane answered simulataneously.
"The... Moukyo Taka-thingy."
"Oh," Ranma grinned evilly at Akane. "That. It's a 'ki-
attack'. I focus my strength and confidence--"
"You mean 'ego'," Akane corrected. Ranma scowled, but held his
hands together in demonstration. A small, reddish-gold ball of fire
sprang to life between his palms.
More magic. Megumi 'Eeped' and did her best to keep the room
from spinning around her.
"So, how's waitressing?" Akane asked.
* * *
It was rapidly approaching nine when Tofuu summoned up the
courage to walk up to the door. Confidently, he thought, he danced
up the doorway. These things were always so much easier when Betty
was there to help him along, but unfortuneatly, she was back at the
clinic on her hook.
Tofuu threw his head back, and pulled out the small black ring
box in preparation. He raised his hand to knock...
A sparrow darted across the walk to the house. Tofuu bolted in
terror.
* * *
With her knees pulled up to her chest on the seat, Akane
thought wistfully back to Ranma's room. After several minutes of
playing with Ranma's curse and muttering to herself about
'scientific explanations', Megumi stumbled back into her own room as
if she were in a drug induced trance. Akane felt rather sorry for
the girl to have her sensible foundations so horribly rocked. All
they could really do was try to lessen the shock for her.
Ranma went into the girl's room and asked her if she would
like to call him 'Ranko' when he was in his cursed form. Megumi
accepted, almost a little too quickly.
She had to admit that she was still a little jealous of
Megumi, being so close to Ranma all the time, but still, Akane
worried about the girl.
Once she left, however, she and Ranma...
It was their third serious kiss. Like the two previous
encounters, it was a good night kiss.
The first had been quick and nervous, at the train station on
her way home. The second was a little more lingering, but still
fairly shy on all accounts. The third...
The lights were low in the apartment. Ranma only ever had a
few lamps on at night to save on electricity. They sat together and
watched television for several minutes, but Akane stood up and began
to gather her books. Ranma watched her from his postition on the
floor. Selfconciously, Akane turned so that she presented her
profile to him. Torn between feelings of embarassment and
excitement, Akane arched her back slightly.
She heard a sharp intake of breath as she stretched out. Out
of the corner of her eye, she could see Ranma's eyes following the
curve of her leg and buttocks. They rested for an interminable time
on her breasts, which were small, in her opinion, but barely
concealed beneath the trim leotard. Finally, Ranma stared at her
face. Akane turned her neck slightly, trying to present a longer,
more attractive figure.
Only a few months ago, she would have pounded him for such a
perverted act, but now it was... important to her that he want look
at her body.
"I really like your hair, Akane." He stood, his torso turned
so that he could open the door for her.
Akane smiled, faintly, but warmly, and leaned in close to the
martial artist. "Thanks, Ranma. I'm glad you like it. I was so
afraid that it would turn out badly."
Ranma shook his head forcefully.
They stepped over to the door. Ranma looked expectantly into
her eyes as his trembling hand went for the knob.
Akane's hand covered his, almost of its own volition. She
leaned in even closer. Ranma's other hand went to her shoulder.
Akane almost moaned in expectation.
Ranma wrapped his impossibly strong arms around her, a little
more confidently this time, and their lips met. Akane pulled her
hands up to rest against his broad, muscular chest, and returned the
slight pressure back to him. She could feel him pulling her ever
tighter to his chest, feeling the countours of her body embedded in
his own. His hands began to roam down her back, darting as low as,
but never quite touching her firm derrier.
They were both so terrified of the new, urgent sensations, but
both needed them so badly. It was so hard to tell when to stop, or
how far to let it go...
Akane sighed and melted inside all over again as she thought
back on the brief interlude.
Not wanting to miss her stop for her reverie, Akane pulled out
a textbook, and tried to study. After several minutes, she gave up
and began to secretly study the other passengers on the train.
Several of them were 'regulars'. She always seemed to get on
at the same time with them. There was the red haired cocktail
waitress who was always just a bit tipsy coming home from work, and
the single mother who always did her shopping late. Two business men
were always disscussing the evening paper together, and there was
the tired old man, who always spent every day at the park.
Oddly, there was a man in a trenchcoat who always sat at the
back of the train. He never exchanged the cursory greetings the
other passengers did. At first, she suspected one of Ranma's
suitors. He never moved very much, so Akane had a difficult time
reading him, but after careful observation, Akane suspected that he
lived with the cocktail waitress, or was infatuated with her,
because he always sat directly behind her if he could.
Besides, if one of *those* people actually managed to track
her as far as the train, she'd pick a stop at random and just start
walking.
Her real stop came around. Sighing her longing, she gathered
her books and made her way for the door.
* * *
Nine-thirty. Tofuu skulked around the bushes infront of the
Tendou house.
*Maybe it would just be better if I waited until she came to
the office.*
Resolutely, he shook his head. It must happen tonight, he told
himself.
* * *
It was about halfway home from the train station that Akane realized
that she was being followed. It didn't take much, as she suspected
her pursuers were quite intoxicated. They were making too much
noise, and were bouncing off each other quite rowdily. She turned
several corners, but they kept after her.
She walked on for about a block, hoping that she could get
close enough to home that a good sprint would carry her to safety.
Her pursuers, six of them, started walking double time, doing
their drunken best to act inconspicuous.
Running was not going to be an option, she thought. Akane
turned and stood her ground. The six men strode up to her, and just
stared at her with evil leers.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" She asked indignantly.
The leader, a tall young man with a tatoo on his neck, and a
lit cigarette in his hand, flicked ash on the ground and took a long
drag. As he exhaled, Akane could smell the sharp reek of alchohol
combined with tobacco.
"Yeah, you can help us, sweetie. Right guys?"
The assembled ruffians nodded and made low, guttaral
affirmative noises.
"What do you want?" Akane assessed the men for weapons. The
leader appeared to be unarmed, but the guy next to him was toying
with a switchblade knife hanging halfway out of his hip pocket.
Aside from one other, who was hiding a butterfly knife behind his
leg, they appeared to be unarmed.
The leader sneered at her. "Why don't we go over in that
alley, and I'll show ya!"
Akane raised her eyebrows. "You've got to be kidding."
The man with the butterfly knife flipped it open and pointed
it at her stomach. "Just shut up and go in the alley, and we won't
hurt you."
*I'll take that one down first,* she thought. *Then use the
man in charge as a human sheild. Shouldn't take more than a minute.*
Akane smiled evilly. "Why don't you make me?"
The man rushed her. Akane tossed her bookbag aside and
prepared to disarm the attacker.
There was a flash from above, and the six men fell in half as
many seconds. The man in the trenchcoat stood behind them in a
fighting stance.
Akane's eyebrows slanted even further. She suddenly knew
*exactly* who the man was.
"What's the big deal, Ranma? I could have taken them easily.
Why did you have to stick your nose in my fight?"
"Hey! They had knives! And I'm not Ranma."
Akane pulled the trencoat away from the martial artist. "So
you've been following me home. Jeez, Ranma I can't beleive this!"
"Hey, I was only trying to look out for you!"
"I don't need any looking out for, Ranma. I've gotten home
just fine by myself every night for a solid month!"
One of the attackers groaned. Akane kicked his head. "Stay
down, moron. Just wait for the police, and I won't hurt you."
Ranma 'hmphed' and scowled at the girl.
Glaring at him, Akane ran to a nearby pay phone and dialed the
emergency number. As they sat waiting for the police, no words
passed between them. Akane just sat and simmered. She had trusted
him with so much, and now... this was the way he showed it?
When they arrived, the police were very thankful to have the
six men so neatly delivered, if a little shamefaced that they had no
involvement in their capture. After answering a few questions,
Akane and Ranma were sent on their way. They walked together for
quite some time.
Unfortuneatly 'together' had two different connotations for
Ranma and Akane.
"I can't beleive you, Ranma! Following me like some sort of
stalker. You're no better than those men back there."
"I *ain't* stalking you, Akane."
"Fine, then what were you doing? Hmmm?"
"Err..."
Akane wrung her hands behind her back. "Don't you think I can
take care of myself? Is that it?"
"Akane I..."
"You think I'm going to get hurt walking home."
Ranma shrugged. "So, what if I do?"
"Do you have any idea how INSULTING that is?!"
"Hell, Akane! Everyone knows what... No. I ain't gonna say
it."
They walked on for a few minutes, turning a corner onto a
better lit street. There were more people here, going in and out of
shops and restaurants that were still open. Ranma looked around in a
kind of sad amusement. So many happy people completely unaware of
what had just happened.
Akane slowed and looked into a dress shop window. She glanced
at Ranma's reflection in the glass. "You might as well, if you still
think so. I'm a slow, weak girl, right?"
Ranma refused to answer. His surly expression betrayed his
feelings, however.
"You know, if we don't say anything," Akane suggested, "It's
not going to get any better. We haven't said *anything* for a solid
month."
"If I say anything, I'm gonna get malleted. Hell, I'll
probably gonna get malleted for *that*." He stared at her
accusingly.
Akane turned away from the window and glared back, the rage
building behind her eyes. "I promised that I wouldn't hit you
anymore," she hissed. "Isn't that good enough?"
"Yeah... you promised." Ranma's eyes narrowed to slits. "Just
like you promised Kasumi that you wouldn't ever hit anybody in
anger."
The rage and anger left Akane's face, and was replaced by
shock and shame at the promise she had so casually broken so long
ago. She tried to tell her self it was meaningless, but a terrified
doubt began to gnaw at her.
"Didn't think I knew about that one, did ya?" Ranma pushed his
hands down in his pockets, and resumed walking along the sidewalk.
Akane strode next to him, her fists clenching in shock and a little
bit of anger. It was growing much more crowded as they approached a
large night club.
After a few seconds, Ranma turned back to her, guilt and self
loathing evident in his expression. "I shouldn't 'a said that,
Akane."
Akane answered quietly. "So you don't trust me?"
As Ranma shook his head, Akane's heart broke. She continued to
walk along behind him, but the world seemed to blur around her.
Ranma shrugged, but closed his steps so that he was a little
closer to her.
They passed the entrance to the club. It was approaching ten
and getting rather misty, but there was still a long line of
impatient people awaiting entrance to the club. They were all
anxious, guarding their places in line, but the majority of them
were speaking animatedly. The people were all dressed in an
attractive manner. Most were dressed in their finest party clothes.
They seemed to be having fun, even waiting in line.
As they passed the end of the line, Ranma glanced briefly at
the waiting length. He kept walking in disgust.
Akane began to feel a familiar fear rise in her heart. It was
familiar as the same sensation she felt whenever Ranma acted like he
was happy with one of the other girls, and when Ranma moved out of
the Tendou home a month earlier. She was going to lose him...
"Ranma!" She shouted. He was a little shocked to hear her
speak so passionately. "I've trusted *you* with so much. Why can't
you do the same? Please, tell me what I have to do to make you trust
me!"
Ranma was shocked at the words, and Akane's expression. A
wealth of tears stood unshead in her eyes.
"You... trust *me*?!?!"
"How can I not, Ranma?" A tear rolled down her face, and her
tone became pleading, almost desperate. "You've saved my life dozens
of times. You always come when I'm in trouble. If anybody tries to
hurt me, you stand up for me. When you moved out, I had to trust you
to stay away from the other girls. I even had to learn to trust you
around Megumi! If you weren't there for me..." Her voice dropped to
a whisper. "I don't know how I could go on."
Ranma was stopped in his tracks. "Akane?" His expression had
changed to mirror Akane's earlier shock. "I..." He stood resolutely
and put his fist to his chest. "I barely trust *myself* to take care
of you, Akane? How can I trust anyone else, even you?"
Akane nodded sadly. She had done so little besides berate her
fiancee. But... he *wanted* to take care of her. Her heart began to
ache, and her throat tightened with the thought.
"Sides', I don't think 'trust' is just somethin' you can turn
on and off like a light. You gotta *earn* it."
Akane nodded anxiously. "How? Please, what do I have to do?"
Ranma's eyes widened. "Urr..."
"Please, Ranma. I..."
He held up his hand. "It's been a month since you hit me.
That's a good *start*. I'm still duckin' and coverin' everytime I
hear myself say somethin' stupid."
Akane's breath caught in her throat. "I... I'm sorry, Ranma."
"I'm sorry too, Akane. I ain't been the most sensitive guy,
ever, either. I usually call 'em like I see 'em, and sometimes that
isn't the right thing, or even the true thing to say. I've been
trying to stop, but sometimes..."
As long as she had known him, this was the first time Ranma
had ever gone so far as to apologize to her. Her eyes misted over,
and tears began to run freely down her face.
Her heart burst with the words. 'I'm sorry too, Akane.' She
burned up and froze at the same time. The warm flow of tears started
to run down into her leotard, as the world ground to a complete
stop.
Ranma stepped in a little closer and tried to look into her
face. Cautiously, he put a hand to her cheek. "Akane? You okay?"
He was so close to her. It was all she needed to hear.
Regardless of anything else, Ranma still cared about her. The words
came to her mouth, unbidden.
"I love you, Ranma."
He froze as if she had just uttered some incredible attack
phrase.
Her arms reached out of their own volition and wrapped around
his shoulders and head. Feircley, as if she had to trap him to the
earth, Akane pressed her lips to his.
She covered his face in kisses and buried her wet face in his
shoulder. Muffled by the coarse fabric, she cried out loud.
"I love you, you mean, insensitive, sex-changing jerk, and
I'll never give you up. Not to Shampoo, not to Ukyou, not to
Kodachi, or anyone else!"
"Akane....." Hesitantly, Ranma's arms closed around her back.
"I... I... don't know.... I loo..."
She looked up into his face, which was twisted into at once an
expression of the purest excstasy, and the sheerest terror. It
looked as if he were fighting with himself on some existential
plane.
"I... loooooo...."
With the tears still rolling freely down her face, Akane put a
finger to his lips. "You don't have to say it if you don't want to.
Don't say it if you don't feel it, either."
His expression was stricken, but resolute. "Of course I mean
it! I've meant it since... Hell, I don't know! It seems as long as
I've known you!"
"Ranma..." Akane rested her head on his shoulder. She could
hear his heart racing. She realized that at some point that they had
collapsed to their knees on the sidewalk.
"I *love* you, Akane! You're the only thing that's kept me
goin' for the last three years. With the curse, and the fiancees,
and the old ghoul, and all the challenges, and the letch..."
She silenced him with another kiss. A long, wet, pasionate
kiss that messed up his hair as much as his face.
"What're we gonna do, Akane?" he asked. "We still hurt each
other so much. When we talk, we get angry, and when we don't nothin'
happens."
She shook her head against his shoulder. "I don't know, Ranma.
Whatever... we have to learn to... trust, and we have to do it
together."
Weeping into each other's arms, neither Ranma nor Akane
noticed the crowd of party goers and club employees they had drawn
applauding all around them.
* * *
It was late, *too* late, Megumi thought. The world, which had
previously been defined in terms of formulae, equations, statistical
analisys, had just given way to fairy tale.
She lay in her bed, looking up at the flourescent fixture in
the middle of the ceiling. Her eyes absently traced the end of the
cord that hung from the light as it danced in the breeze from her
airconditioner. In the speckles she got from staring at the too-
bright bulb, Megumi could still see the ball of what could only be
described as Ranma's life force floating in front of her face.
*Ranma... Ranko... How can s-he live like that?*
She flipped over and buried her face in her pillow. She stayed
like that for some time, images of Ranma changing back and forth
assailing her inner vision.
There were so many things to think about. How much of what she
knew was void now? Curses implied a spellcaster of some sort... or
worse, a supernatural entity. Demons?
The existence of which would imply Gods and Goddesses. No,
that was impossible. Everyone knew goddesses didn't exist.
She really didn't realize when she started to shiver. Rain
began to tap against her window as a cold front blew through, and
the air conditioner became just too much to cool the room.
Megumi sighed and grabbed a vinyl raincoat from her closet. It
would do her little good to sit in her room slowly going crazy. She
had to get out and think things through.
*Then* she could go crazy if she wanted.
She hurried out of the building and out into the night. She
really didn't mind the rain, but Megumi looked for a coffe shop to
get into anyway.
As she walked, she couldn't help but stare at the people
around her... wondering. Supposedly at least one of the fiancees and
several of Ranma's enemies were cursed as well. Megumi couldn't help
but wonder who else's life had been touched by magic.
After a few minutes, she located the 'Unforgettable Medlies'
cafe. She went in and took a seat at the bar, and ordered a coffee.
Megumi found that it was all she could do to keep from
nervously fidgeting all over the counter.
Suddenly, a petite figure flopped down next to her. She jumped
as she realized who it was.
"Ya learn to hate the rain. Of course, I have it better than
some of the others."
"T-t-the girl who turns into a cat..." Megumi suggested. She
couldn't beleive the words coming out of her own mouth.
The redhead plopped her head down on her hands. "Yeah, and
then there's my *other* problem with... c-cats." She shook nervously
a bit, and then stretched to try and warm her cold muscles.
"You went home with Akane, ...Ranko?" Megumi asked. She still
felt fairly nervous speaking to the girl as if she really was her
suitemate. It rankled a little inside her somewhere though. She
tried to decide if she wanted to discard 'Ranko' and just stick to
'Ranma'. "Did she get home okay?"
Ranma smiled meanly and motioned to the waiter. "We had a
fight."
Of course Megumi had never seen the pair fight, but both had
spoken to her privately about their differences. The look of shock
on her face must have been amusing, she thought.
"Actually, I think I kinda missed it," Ranma continued,
wistfully. "I don't miss the mallet though. I can't beleive we
actually had a fight that *went* somewhere."
Suddenly, Megumi felt her curiosity for gossip beat down her
nervousness, and she leaned in close to the redhead. "Ooh! What
happened?"
Ranma told her the details of the fight. Megumi seemed a
little shocked about Akane being attacked, but Ranma waved her off.
"It happens all the time anyway. I just can't let her risk
herself on somthing like that. I... I care too much about her."
Megumi nodded, "Go on..."
"Well anyway, after we made up, we tried to think of things to
do that would make us trust eachother more. Akane agreed to let me
defend her when I wanted, and I agreed not to try and act like I
wasn't doing it. Then came the good part!"
"Before or after it started raining?"
"After."
Megumi had to stifle a giggle. Kisses in the rain were so
romant... Uh-oh. *She* didn't! She couldn't have! As a girl? With
horror, Megumi watched Ranma's face crack into a gleeful grin that
could only be the result of something so private being shared.
"You didn't!" She hissed.
Ranma nodded gleefully. "Yeah, I did. And were going to start
tomorrow!"
Megumi gasped in shock. "You're can't be serious!"
"Yeah! We start sparring tomorrow morning when I usually work
out."
Megumi blushed. Of course, fighting would be just as important
and personal to a life long martial artist as any romance.
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Ranma continued. "I mean, here I
am with nobody to fight with, constantly having to watch out for
Akane. If I can train her up to my level, I'll be able to trust her
that much more to take care of herself. She'll be more ready to take
on one of the other girls, too, if they find out where she's going
every day."
Megumi could only nod, not trusting her self to speak. It was
Ranma, alright. Girl or boy, no one else could be so focused. As she
and Ranma sat and talked away the night, Megumi found herself
wondering how much to embrace the magic that suddenly surrounded
her.
For the first time since she was a very young girl, the
evening seemed somehow... *magical*.
* * *
Akane strode up to the house. While she was grinning madly,
almost skipping down the walk, she could still feel the redness in
her eyes from the crying earlier. She hoped that the rain would hide
it.
As she came up to the door, she noticed a dark figure in the
bushes. She jumped back and crouched in a defensive stance.
"All right, come out of there before I call the police."
"A-Akane-chan! How surprising to see you here of... all..
places..."
"Tofuu-Sensei? What are you doing back there?"
Nervously, the doctor stepped out onto the walk. In the dim
light cast by the door lamp, Akane could see that the doctor was
soaked to the bone and had twigs and worse all through his hair. His
glasses were horribly fogged, even as wet as it was. "Ummmmm....
Well, I was coming to see your sister of course, Akane. Isn't it a
wonderful night for a visit?"
Akane knew it was useless to disagree with him when he was
like this, and besides, she had had a fairly spectacular visit of
her own. Subconciously, her hand went to her lips.
"Of course, Betty-chan isn't here, and what's an evening
without Betty. She said it was the rain. You know how old bones ache
in wet weather." The doctor began nervously scraping his fist
against the wall, chipping off a little paint in the process.
"Why don't you come in before you freeze, Doctor?"
Tofuu gulped as Akane opened the door. It was still too early
for him! He wasn't ready! This was all happening too soon, but Akane
took his hand and led him in the door."
"Tadaima!" She called out as she closed the door behind them.
Tofuu began to shake in apprehension.
"Poor thing, you must be frozen solid!" Akane led him into the
main room, where her father and Genma were watching an old samurai
movie. "We'll just have Kasumi make you up some warm tea. Won't that
be good?"
Nabiki looked up at her sister with a little bit of
exaspersation. Trust Akane to pick a night like this to go out on.
"K-k-k-k-kasumi?!?!" Tofu chattered. He held up his fist,
clenching the small black box and crumpled note.
"Yes, is somebody here?" The older girl called out from up the
stairs. I'll be down in just a minute!"
Akane turned to the doctor, and noticed the box. "Tofuu-
sensei! You brought a present for Kasumi. How nice!"
*Present... yes...* thought Tofuu. The world seemed to be
slowing down around him.
"Who's here, Akane?" Kasumi turned the corner from the
stairwell and stepped into the main room.
Time stopped for Tofuu.
Never before had he seen such a sight. Kasumi... in a bikini.
The world went dark. Tofuu could die happy, now.
"What a lovely swimsuit, Oneechan! Is that the one... Doctor
Tofuu?"
The doctor fell to the ground without bending his knees. Only
his fist bterayed any life, still clutching at the velvet box and
note.
"Oh, Tofuu, you silly dear," Kasumi pried the note and started
to read.
"To my dearest Kasumi, I..." Her eyes went wide and a tear
rolled down her cheek. "L-love you..." She whispered.
Akane suddenly realized what the little black box was. In
shock, she took it from the doctor's rigid fingers and handed it to
her sister.
Trembling, Kasumi continued to read the note. Nabiki ran over
and looked over her shoulder.
Soun walked over to the young doctor. "Tofuu, what brings you
over at this time of night?"
"Shh, Daddy!" Nabiki cautioned. "Tofuu just proposed to
Kasumi!!!"
"Growf???" The giant panda shuffled over to the small,
incredulous group and snuffled at the unconcious doctor.
"Well, I'll be..." Soun knelt and patted Tofuu on his limp
shoulder. "That's the way to go, Son. Show some initiative. If
only... Ah, well. The past is the past. Your mother would be proud,
Kasumi."
The girl didn't answer as she started to cry. She clutched the
note to her breast and buried her face in Tofuu's soaked gi.
Trembling, she turned her face slightly and pulled the box open.
Nabiki was the first to gasp. In her case it was the opulence
of the ring. Such a treasure should be on *her* finger, too! Akane,
primed from her fight and reconciliation with Ranma, knelt and cried
along with her sister. Heartened as Kasumi shakily slid the ring
over the tip of her finger, Soun patted his furry friend on the
back.
"Growf!"
"You said it, Saotome-kun." He patted the unconcious doctor
again. "Good job, Son. Welcome to the family."
* * *
After she managed to cry herself out and Tofuu regained a
jittering conciousness, Akane ran for her room. She simply *had* to
phone Ranma and tell him what happened. Even when she received no
answer at his phone number, she didn't become upset.
She *trusted* him. It felt good to say. He was probably with
Megumi, trying to help her with her upset. More importantly, she
knew, She and Ranma had taken a big step towards building something
*more* than trust.
She thought about her sister and Tofuu, and how much the two
of them would have to learn to live together.
Right then, she vowed, *If Kasumi can do it, then so can I.
I'll make Ranma mine!*
* * *
Thus ends 'Curses', Ranma's Apartment 2.