Dark Huntress: Soul Mates

Review

This is an alternate-universe type of story in which Ranma saves Ryoga from falling into a cursed spring but is hurt in the process and ends up permanently female. Genma abandons Ranma and takes Ryoga on as his heir. Ranma, now Reiko, studies with the amazons then goes to Japan to compete in a tournament.

Some readers will find it unsettling since Reiko and Akane are both lesbians, but the story is still quite romantic and very well done.

Synopsis

Chapter 1

The story opens with the battle at the cursed springs and a girl (unidentified) praying for her soul-mate to find her, and Kami-sama hearing the prayer.

The story changes from the traditional when, instead of knocking Ryoga into a pool, Ranma-chan pushes Ryoga to safety, but falls into the cursed spring a second time, hitting her head, bleeding, and becoming unconscious.

Ryoga rescues her. He and Genma find out that the change is permanent, and Ryoga just laughs at Ranma.

When Ranma wakes up and finds out what has happened she goes into the woods and tries to kill herself, but Ryoga stops her.

Chapter 2

The Chinese guide takes the three of them to Cologne's village. She tells Genma that nothing can be done about Ranma; that he is now a she in a thrice-locked formed. Cologne invites them to stay in the village for a bit, as Ranma-chan is basically catatonic.

Ranma-chan has severe nightmares for a couple of weeks in which she is fighting her male self, and eventually her male self tries to kill her. Shampoo has been helping Ranma-chan during the day, but Ranma-chan is still basically unresponsive.

She manages to defeat the male form of Ranma, and realizes what has been happening to her in her dreams. Ranma decides to take the name Reiko as her new name for her new life.

Reiko stays in the village and Cologne and Shampoo both work with her to teach her the things she needs to know as a woman. Reiko has learned a new chi-oriented attack and it's quite powerful.

Reiko agrees to become an official ally of the tribe, but not a full member, as she opposes the way the Amazons treat males.

Chapter 3

Time has come for a combat to allow the girls to become adult warriors, and Reiko chooses the best warrior to compete against. The woman also has a personal hatred of Reiko.

Reiko wins, but barely, and is badly hurt during the fight.

Meanwhile, Genma and Ryoga arrive at the Tendo dojo, Ryoga having become Genma's legal heir and not will be engaged to one of the girls. Reiko, Cologne and Shampoo set out on a training trip.

Ryoga becomes engaged to Nabiki, Akane being very, very nasty to him. Genma told everyone that Ranma had died.

Two years later Reiko takes bokken/katana instructions from a couple. The couple are monster hunters and adopt Reiko as their own daughter and heir.

Chapter 4

Reiko wants to take part in an martial arts contest in Nerima. She goes there along with Shampoo and Cologne. She runs into Nodoka almost as soon as she gets there, though. Nodoka accepts Reiko as her daughter after she explains what has happened.

Chapter 5

Reiko meets Akane between matches and they talk. Akane apparently is a lesbian, and so is Reiko, but they don't tell each other yet.

Later Shampoo and Akane talk, and Shampoo tells her that Reiko is a great martial artist, but has an incredibly low self-esteem otherwise, and she's been through some very terrible experiences.

Akane is also in the tournament and she beats Shampoo in the semi-finals. Reiko takes on Ryoga and ends up beating him and hurting him in the process.

Akane and Reiko compete in the semi-final round, and Reiko again wins.

Reiko takes on a huge guy in the final match and also defeats him, but barely, and after a match lasting almost four hours.

Chapter 6

Later that night there's a party at the Tendos. Nodoka shows up with Reiko, Champoo, and Cologne, and Genma realizes Reiko was Ranma.

Genma is nasty to Reiko and he ends up paying for that.

Akane and Reiko have a long talk and their love for each other is revealed. Akane will become Reiko's first student, and Reiko tells her about the task she has of fighting evil monsters.

Nabiki proposes an idea where Reiko can buy up some houses in the block and they can build a dojo that would combine both of their martial arts schools. Nodoka is ok with Reiko and Akane; Soun is somewhat reserved, but goes along with the idea.

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