Heart of Ranma, part 3

Against the Odds

The third book in The Heart of Ranma Trilogy...

Akane stepped off the platform; it had been a wonderful two and a half weeks at the Forest Inn. Not only did they get a lot of training done, but also they had been very active after the second day they had been there. Ranma’s recovery had been as swift as they had expected. On the third day, she was the same confident vivacious person he loved. She had even brought along schoolbooks. Ranma bringing schoolwork along! Never in his entire life would he have thought of Ranma wanting to do schoolwork. When he asked her about it, all she said was that going to St. Hebereke’s had changed her mind slightly about school. Well, the curse could have shaken her into liking going to school he supposed, either that, or it was one of the by-products of her woman training that he had not been there to witness.

Akane had one problem however. For all the thinking he had been doing for the last for days, he could not for the life of him understand why Ranma was glowing. Every time he cast his eyes on her and she noticed, he would see her start to glow softly. He never really noticed how often Ranma smiled until these last few days, and her smile was like a beacon. It brightened his whole day just to see her smile. She had fully recovered from the effects of the poison. She seemed effervescent with life.

He held out her hand and she accepted it. She clung to his waist as he extended his arm around her. Silently they walked; there was no need for words. There journey had filled them with pleasant memories and their ease and love showed in their casual glances and effortless smiles. The journey to their destination was very quick. This time, they took the direct route.

"Tadima!"

"Hello? Oh Ranma!"

Ranma found herself being squeezed to death. She was released and then saw that Akane was the new recipient of the hug her mother had previously given her. After seeing Akane starting to turn blue, Ranma felt sorry for her husband and interrupted her mother.

"Uh...Mom."

Nodoka released Akane and beckoned them to enter. The three of them entered the house and went straight to the kitchen where Nodoka busied herself preparing something for her children.

"So how did you like the place?"

"It was beautiful mom," replied Ranma. She gave Akane a nudge, reminding him not to forget what they had spoken about before.

"Um...yes mom, thank you very much, Ranma and I enjoyed ourselves immensely," replied Akane.

Nodoka smiled. "It was the least I could do for my son and daughter." (pause) "I heard that the two of you were not seen on the premises during the first week after you checked in. The manager called and wondered if she should check on the two of you. I told her that you were both probably too preoccupied to come out much." She didn’t have to watch their faces. She knew that they were a bright red. She would love to continue teasing her daughter and son about that in the coming months. Young people were just so naive and sensitive about the subject of sex sometimes. Vacation my foot, she knew why she had sent them out there for those weeks and things had happened exactly as she had expected.

"I’m sure Ranma will be telling me all about those three weeks when we have a little woman to woman talk."

Nodoka winked to Akane who couldn’t get more crimson than he was at the moment. Ranma burst out laughing as she watched her husband quiver under her mother’s smile. She put her hands around his waist and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Don’t worry hon. I won’t tell her everything we did during those days..." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she said some things to Akane that no one else could hear. Nodoka was startled when Akane sprung from the seat and scooped Ranma up in his hands.

"Sorry Mom, Ranma and I are very tired from our journey and we’d like some rest."

Nodoka didn’t have time to reply since Akane was already bounding up the stairs. She had to admire her daughter. To get her husband that excited after only a few words was something she could never do with Genma. She had to lay it on thick before he got aroused. Perhaps her daughter might be able to teach her a couple of things after all. Genma. She wished she could see him right now, but she couldn’t. He had to be punished for what he had done to her child. Maybe after that there could be a reconciliation between them. How could he have carried away her only child for ten long years!

****************

The next morning, Saturday, saw Akane and Ranma standing outside the walls of the Tendo Household. They had left early that morning after planning with their mother.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Akane

"Yes dear, we have to do it this way."

"Okay, if you say so."

Ranma gave him a peck on the cheek. "Don’t worry, just stay in the back by the pond."

Kasumi heard someone calling. Answering, she found a redhead girl wearing a pair of black slacks and a velvet red shirt. Kasumi wondered why Ranma would wear a thing like that, but she had to admit; it looked pretty good on Ranma.

"Ranma-chan, how nice it is to see you, is Akane with you?"

"Nah, he’s out back," Ranma replied.

The change in pronouns was lost on Kasumi.

"Where’s everyone?" asked Ranma

"Oh, they’re around," replied Kasumi

"Could you tell them to meet me in the Dojo, I have some really important news."

"Okay, do you want some hot water?"

"Yeah, just bring it to the Dojo when you come."

Ranma surveyed the audience: Genma, Nabiki, Soun and Kasumi. She was as prepared as she would be for a normal battle. The council at the Saotome House had been very helpful. Treating this like a battle had her calm removed and ready to act. She wondered why she had never thought of this before. She would enjoy this, definitely. None of the other occupants of the Dojo knew what was going on. Ranma could see the anxiety on Nabiki’s face. The Ice Queen, the one who controlled everyone one and who knew everything had no idea what was going on. It seemed so poetically ironic.

"Yes boy, what is it," Genma asked impatiently as he broke the tension in the once silent hall.

Soun had been waiting for Akane to appear. Soun did not see his daughter, he concluded that something had happened to his daughter. Ranma was all quiet and removed. Something had happened to his daughter.

"Waahhh...my poor daughter’s gone wahhhh!"

"Oh shut up," replied a disgusted Ranma, "Akane’s right outside." That plugged Soun’s eyes for a second. So nothing had happened. Akane was safe.

"Wahhh...my daughter’s alive!" wailed Soun.

"Aww...would ya cut it out!" cried Ranma in a tempered voice that silenced Soun to a bearable level. The man was like a motor when it came to his feelings. He would just go on and on and on…

"So Ranma what’s this news that you have," asked Nabiki with her poker face. She had tried for two weeks to find out where Akane and Ranma had disappeared. Auntie Saotome had sent them out somewhere, but no matter where her spies looked, they could find no trace of them. The closest they had come was finding some redhead girl kissing her boyfriend on a train. Damn, she hated being in the dark. She had no leads and no one; not even Cologne had known what was going on. The mummy always had some sense that something was happening. Somehow, Cologne had shown no sign that she felt something was wrong. So what was the big news?

Ranma took the kettle from Kasumi with a washcloth and poured some of the liquid onto the cloth. She then applied the cloth, soaking and dripping with the steaming liquid, to her face and hands. The change that everyone was expecting did not occur. They looked at Ranma’s fingers and noticed that she wore no magic ring. Of course, Nabiki knew about that. So Ranma and Akane had gone on a training trip to find a cure, and they had come back empty handed she surmised. The fathers however were not taking things very lightly.

"Foolish boy! How could you get yourself get stuck in your cursed form again?"

"Yeah, whatever old man."

"Oh to think of it. My once proud and mighty son has been forced to become a weak girl," replied Genma, trying to goad Ranma into some action.

"Hey!" replied Ranma. Another person who was listening in was trying not to lose his anger or run in and bash the old man. It was a hard fight, but he had been bashed too many times over the last week for letting his anger get the better of him. Ranma such was getting a touch violent these days Of course, Ranma’s punishment for him usually came when they sparred. Why had he insisted that they spar in the first place? Oh yeah, he had to open his big mouth and demand that she start teaching him. Who told him to open his big mouth? At least he knew that Ranma wasn’t hitting him very hard and although that pissed him a little, he had to admit that real sparring with Ranma might be out of his league. Judging from his sore joints, that had always been the case. He would never in his life admit to that though because he knew he could be every bit as good as Ranma.

"Wahhh...now our schools will never be joined!"

"Oh what a black day it is for the Saotome Clan. What will become of us?"

Ranma was beginning to get a bit annoyed now. The teacup she had in her hand started to crumble under the pressure.

The person outside had to act. His fuse was almost at an end. He thought of the ways he could beat the living daylights out of a certain bald martial artist. But he had promised he would wait until he heard the signal.

Ranma was not unfazed by the words. They stung a bit as she heard them, but a couple of words were not going to stop her from proving her point.

"I don’t really care what you think pops. This time, this stupid curse you have given me is permanent!"

Genma and Soun were stunned. They really hadn’t expected Ranma to say that the curse was permanent. Surely that couldn’t be. Ranma was lying he must be lying there was no other way. Genma knew there was no way his manly son could stay or be content with just being a girl.

"Foolish boy! You’re getting weak! Where’s your sense of adventure? Where’s that manly son I brought up?"

"That boy is gone!" replied Ranma tersely, "Because of your stupid training in China and all that stupid running..."

"Boy show some respect!" shouted Genma as he attacked. Ranma had expected this and side-stepped her father’s attack. He went sprawling to the other side of the Dojo as Ranma helped him along with a gentle push as he passed. An inverted Genma was plastered against the wall.

"Spending two months as a girl really gives you a different outlook on life," replied Ranma. "In fact pops, Mr. Tendo, I want you to meet someone."

Akane heard his queue.

Everyone looked at the newcomer as he entered the Dojo behind Ranma. He had short hair and wore similar clothes to Ranma except that his shirt was a sky blue. The timing of his movements and the grace with which he walked betrayed to the others that he was a martial artist. So just what was his connection to Ranma? Was this one of Ranma’s schemes, or did something actually happen and where was Akane!

The boy walked up to Ranma and stood behind the redhead. Then he did something unspeakable to the redhead. He wrapped his hands around her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh my!" declared Kasumi

Nabiki’s eyes were falling out of their sockets. She refused to believe what she was seeing. Ranma being kissed by another boy and doing nothing. Sensory overload! warned her brain, but unfortunately she did not heed the warning. A thump was heard where Nabiki had previously been sitting.

The parents were shocked. Genma was definitely frozen. His face looked as if he had seen a ghost or something worse. Soun wasn’t looking any better. Ranma and Akane enjoyed themselves immensely at the others expense. Akane disengaged himself from Ranma and propped himself up against the wall. By now, Nabiki had awoken.

Akane leaned back against the walls of the Dojo, both of his sisters were staring at him intently. He suppressed the urge to laugh at them. Nabiki was as usual trying to size him up; he knew he had given her a start when he had kissed Ranma. They were now trying to figure it out. He saw Nabiki’s eyes light up suddenly, he wondered if she had figured it out.

Nabiki was angry and confused. Who was this man who had won over Ranma? She knew that her sister loved Ranma very much. Nabiki had never seen this boy before. Could Ranma have met him during the training trip? And where was Akane? Ranma had mentioned that Akane was outside. Surely Akane would never agree to what just happened, then it dawned on her. Ranma was cursed, permanently. He had mentioned that he had cursed Akane once. Could this man be her little sister? What had her little sister done? Had her little sister cursed herself to become part woman and part man?

"Boy, what is the meaning of this? And who is that!" growled Genma.

"Pops, I ashamed," replied Ranma while acting in an unconcerned voice, "You shouldn’t greet your son-in-law like that."

"S-S-Son-in-l-l-aw..." repeated Genma and Soun.

After a couple of minutes, the dazed parents gained their composition somewhat.

"Ranma, you cannot marry that boy!" ordered Genma.

"Sorry pops," replied Ranma smilingly, "I already have."

"WHAT!" Genma could stand it no longer he attacked with full force. Soun understood what he was fighting for and jumped in. Ranma was easily holding her own against the two older men as they attacked. In fact, she was having fun. She deflected most of their strikes making sure they did not hit any of her sensitive areas. She also got in a few strategic hits. The two older men were no match for her stamina: not now anyway. She knew exactly how to attack the two of them and win. She knew her father-in-law was so out of practice that even a couple of minutes of fighting had pulled a lot out of him. Her father had kept up his training, but youth and excitement was proving more of a match for age and experience. She knew of only two people for whom that equation would not work in her favour. Ranma threw her father into the koi pond and his panda side kept the attack up.

Soun and Genma stepped back to re-evaluate their attack. Ranma was breathing normally, waiting for the next wave, while Soun was heaving. Ranma enjoyed having a workout. Akane was good for a different kind of workout, but in Martial Arts, he was almost useless. She trained with him only to increase his strength and technique. At the end of those sessions, she really didn’t come out with any gain but sometimes it was worth it to see the anger on Akane face. He still looked cute when he was angry.

Genma looked evenly at his son turned daughter. He could not believe it: his strong son had turned into this...this girl. To top that off, she had chosen this man. Where was Akane, she was supposed to end this? She was supposed to keep the boy in line. Genma never thought the spring could affect the boy so drastically. The boy was a girl now, a weak useless girl, an impractical heir to the Saotome School. Frustration was getting the better of him. He had not even been able to land a single hand on the redhead. There was only one thing he could do to save his family from humiliation that might also jar Ranma out from this stupidity.

"Soun I am sorry my friend." Wrote Genma in Kanji.

"Wha..?" replied a still heaving Soun.

"The schools cannot be joined."

"It seems that this girl has promised herself to that man."

Ranma was listening intently.

"I did not give my permission to this marriage."

"I do not know who this girl is. (flip sign) I had a son; I did not have daughter. I do not know her." He wrote in Kanji.

Soun looked surprised. Surely Genma didn’t mean what he was saying. Nabiki and Kasumi were shocked. Akane was angry. How dare he do this! He wanted to throttle Uncle Saotome, but he stopped, because something else grabbed his attention.

Ranma was shaking, Her hands were balled up into fists, and she was shaking uncontrollably. Her hair suddenly flared around her, just like the demon Ranma-chan. She could have been described as a demon then. Akane could see the power condensing around her body. It glowed a very bright red. He could see her face concentrating and her aura began to condense. She reminded him of a little firefly.

How dare he! thought Ranma. He had caused her to get cursed. All these stupid arrangements he had given her all these years just to fill his belly. She remembered the pit of cats, her screaming endlessly for him to stop. The tearing, the scratching, the biting as the cats ravaged her body. The fear of being locked in the girl-form, Shampoo and the tournament, even Ukyou and the engagement. They had all ultimately been his fault. How dare he disown her, him of all people!

Soun looked surprised. Surely Genma didn’t mean what he was saying. Nabiki and Kasumi were shocked. Akane was angry. How dare he do this! He wanted to throttle Uncle Saotome, but he stopped, because something else grabbed his attention.

Ranma was shaking, Her hands were balled up into fists, and she was shaking uncontrollably. Her hair suddenly flared around her, just like the demon Ranma-chan. She could have been described as a demon then. Akane could see the aura pouring around her and condensing into a thick voluminous body that was beginning to take shape.

"I raised a proud manly son, I did not raise a girl."

Each word Genma uttered brought Ranma closer and closer to the edge until...the aura around the flaring redhead began to condense and take a tangible form and shape. It collapsed from all around her body into a perfectly woven sphere.

"Ahhhhh.....Flaming Demon Bullet!" shouted Ranma.

Akane saw the red plume fly from Ranma’s hands. Genma, caught by surprise, was easily caught in the flaming inferno. The flames carried him up, and around the Dojo, until, when they died out, he dropped onto the floor, hard. On the floor of the Dojo was Panda a la Flambeau. All of the panda’s fur had burnt off, including the mites that Mai had sent to terrorise him. What lay before them was a very charred and defeated panda.

"So it is true isn’t it?" asked a voice from the doors of the Dojo.

"Auntie Saotome!" cried Kasumi and Nabiki.

However, Ranma was not cognisant of the other members of the room. Moving like lightening, the blur dashed across the Dojo, and a glint of steel could be seen. Genma saw the sword as it plunged down toward him. His life flashed momentarily and he cringed.

Someone screamed.

Genma waited and waited for the inevitable death to come. After a couple of seconds, nothing happened. He chanced opening his eyes, and shied away from the sight in front of him. The katana had been imbedded so close to his face that another millimetre and Ranma would have sliced his nose. Fortunately for his sake, the boy was next to Ranma.

Akane was next to his wife, holding her while she shook with rage. Ranma was writhing in anger. It had all been too much. She had suffered too much to be insulted by her old man. She would not kill him; that was too good for him, but he would pay for the rest. How dare he, how dare he attempt to disown her after all she had been through! She felt Akane hands around her. She accepted them and they had the desired affect of cooling her down. Luckily Akane had been there to control her anger. If her had not held her, she wondered what she would have done. Lately, her control had been waning. Tofu had told her why sometime ago, but she still had to find a way to control herself. What if Akane was not there the next time?

The others included Nodoka had recovered from their brief fright. Nodoka was proud of her daughter; she had shown mercy. Nodoka walked up to her daughter. "Daughter, the sentence is yours to give."

Ranma quivered fiercely as she retracted the sword and placed the tip against Genma’s neck. The others watched cautiously. Akane held her tightly from behind, reminding her of his presence.

"Father you are ordered to get a job to pay off Ucchan’s dowry, you will also have to explain yourself to any more fiancées who show up asking for Ranma Saotome. You will also go on a bamboo diet. Am I understood?"

Who was this demon, and what had she done with his son? Genma looked at his wife for support, but all he found was the hardening of her eyes. The panda grunted a reply the sounded like a yes. The sword disappeared from wherever it came and Akane embraced his wife. Nodoka was half dragging, half choking the burnt panda.

"Now husband, it’s time for you to explain why you took my child from me for ten years!"

The panda tried futilely to escape, but the rope that suddenly appeared around his neck was too tight. Defeated, he followed his wife.

Nabiki, Kasumi and Soun watched the couple in front of them as they hugged. Ranma turned to face them. Her soft red glow had returned and she looked utterly transformed. She was smiling and that smile was lighting up the room just like Kasumi’s.

"Oh by the way, I did not introduce someone. Meet Tendo Akane, my husband."

Akane grinned, Nabiki was peeved, Soun fainted, Kasumi just commented with her usual, "Oh my!"

******************

Akane and Ranma sat down next to each other at the table. Kasumi was serving. Nabiki gave everyone an ice-cold stare. She was not one to advertise that she had been taken by surprise by her little sister and her fiancé of all people. Scratch that, her little brother and his wife. They had moved Akane’s old stuff to the guestroom, a larger bed had been ordered and Genma had been dragged home by his wife. Ranma could well imagine just what was happening between her father and her mother. She knew her mother would not kill him, hospitalise yes, but not kill. Besides, he still had to pay for the dowry.

Everyone waited for Ranma and Akane to speak as they sat eating. Everyone watched Ranma eat. She was eating like young lady, and she was still glowing. With a glow totally opposite to the one that had attacked Uncle Saotome, a soft glow that seemed gentle and relaxing. In fact she really only seemed to glow when Akane was next to her or touched her. Everyone saw it, but no one questioned it. Nabiki wondered what it was.

The tale Ranma and Akane related was as brief as it was untruthful. Nabiki knew they were lying through their teeth about what happened. She was however, smart enough not to challenge a two very powerful martial artists. She was also smart enough not to incur Ranma’s wrath by insulting her at the moment. The casual cold glances Ranma gave her could freeze ice. Nabiki waited. She had a lot of customers after the last photo of Ranma. All her customers wanted pictures of the transformed beauteous redhead girl. Kuno was willing to pay five times his normal price. She would definitely be waiting for Ranma later tonight.

***************

Ranma and Akane were siting quietly by themselves watching television when an unidentified object came flying their way. Instinctively, Ranma's hand shot out from the lying forms and snatched at the object. She only managed to stop it, causing the contents to spill. Ranma still didn't like being wet and wanted to change her clothes, the person she was lying with was still content to lie next to her even thought they were wet. Two very thick and strong arms wrapped around Ranma and brought her back to the couch. Someone behind them gasped and then hurried away. Ranma looked at Akane, Akane shrugged and they continued watching television regardless of how soaked they were.

Upstairs in her room, Nabiki was patching together the pieces of the puzzle. Akane had not changed when the water had hit. That meant only one thing, Akane was now permanently a member of the male gender. That really had Nabiki pissed. How could Ranma have done that to her sister? Kasumi had seen it too. Nabiki noticed that her sister had this spaced out look in her eyes. Nabiki wondered what else Ranma had done to Akane over the last few weeks. Whatever happened, she would find out! After all, she was not branded a mercenary for nothing.

Kasumi, the housemaker and the calmest of the three sisters, was in a state of turmoil. Not only had her little sister been cursed, but the curse seemed permanent. What had Ranma done to her sister? Kasumi would have been uncharacteristically discontented and worried if it wasn’t for the fact that Akane seemed to be enjoying her...himself when he was around Ranma. The two actually looked like a bona fide married couple. Not only that, but she could sense the love between them. What else could make Ranma glow like that? She was not happy that her sister had become a brother, but the fact that the two of them were happy made her happy. She had never seen Akane like this. They seemed to be so attached to each other, so understanding....  

Later on....

Akane gazed out from the steps by the koi pond. His hands were propping up the side of his chiselled face as he gazed out to the stars. Ranma had shown him a lot about the stars in the last couple of nights. He couldn’t remember that one in the corner. Ranma always teased him about it. No matter how hard he tried, he could never immediately remember the name of the constellation. He was ripped away from his thoughts when he felt a warmth against his back.

"The little dipper baka," informed Ranma.

"Jeez, you’d think I would remember that."

She put her arms around him and drew him into her breast while stroking his hair fondly. He murmured his appreciation. No words were needed as the two of them stared out into the stars, Akane’s head lying comfortably against Ranma’s soft, supple body. Akane wondered what it would be like the other way around. Resting his once female body against Ranma’s male body, holding him and touching those sensitive areas he knew so much about now. Moving his arms effortlessly across Ranma’s muscular body. Those had been his dreams when he was a girl. He had stayed up for many hours at a time after those dreams. Now they would never come true. He had new dreams now. Dreams that were coming true every day he was with her. His soul was content.

Ranma didn’t know how long they had been there, but she was pulled from those entrancing stars when Kasumi stepped into the room. Her training with her father had taught her to recognise when someone new had entered a room or was travelling very close. It was a critical technique when you were running away from someone. Kasumi stood there for a while watching the two, wondering what could have happen to cause them to become so close. Ranma noticed her attention and when she moved, she realised that Akane was snoring lightly against her bosom. He still looked so cute.

"Hi, Kasumi."

"Oh, hello Ranma. Do you think Akane would like some tea?"

"Oh, you mean this baka sleeping here?" asked Ranma as she continued to lovingly stroke Akane’s hair.

Oh? Kasumi didn't realise that Akane was sleeping.

"Ranma, I just wanted to thank you."

"Hmmm...why?" asked Ranma out of curiosity. "You’ve made Akane very happy. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you."

"And he’s made me very happy as well."

Kasumi made a move to leave.

"Oh and Kasumi…"

"Yes Ranma?"

"Don’t keep Tofu waiting."

"Oh my! How did you know?"

"I knew for a long time."

"Well it’ll just be our little secret."

"Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone, not even this baka."

Kasumi smiled in appreciation.

"Oh Ranma, I guess we should begin your bridal training tomorrow."

Ranma smiled when Kasumi left. Kasumi had no idea just how much she had changed. Ranma held her husband in her hands and made her way to the bedroom. She undressed her husband and then joined him under the covers herself. A few seconds later, they were asleep again.

Around midnight, Akane and his wife lay in bed they had woken up an hour ago. Ranma was on top of him. As he gazed into her eyes, she gazed into his. He wanted to cherish every moment he spent with her. She was just so special. During their honeymoon, she had taught him about being a man from what she knew. She showed him which actions looked too feminine and what he should do in this situation or the next. Sometimes he would get angry with her, but the way she smiled always seemed to capture him. It always seemed to bring back the memories of those intense passionate nights. Being with Ranma was just that, intense. She was not a quiet or calm person. She loved being active and she loved him. That was what he held to his heart dearly. She constantly told him and showed him how much she loved him, as did he. Their relationship started out on rocky soil. They were constantly battling it out though. So far, they had an understanding of what each needed to do. It was an implicit understanding. Neither talked about it, but it was there nonetheless. Ranma cooked, he washed the dishes. It was implicit, but there was a question he had to ask her. It had been grinding on his mind for a few days. She had disappeared every morning for the last few days and returned with breakfast. Even when he had made up his mind to wake up earlier than her, she was always up before him. He asked her why she was getting up earlier those mornings, but she just smiled at him without answering the question. The same thing happened when he asked her why she glowing. He would not settle for a smile tonight.

Ranma was suddenly caught when Akane pinned her arms and her feet with his. Although that immobilised her, it did the same thing to him, just what was her husband up to?

"Okay Ranma, tonight I want answers," demanded Akane in a faked rough voice.

"Answers honey, what answers?" asked Ranma sweetly, and with the cutest expression on her face. Ranma knew it was working, she could see that Akane was shaking, she wondered if Akane would take her again.

"Don’t honey me. I want some answers to the questions I’ve been asking you every morning," Akane stammered. That smile was gnawing away at his control. He hoped he could hold out.

Ranma kissed him lightly. "Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"Yes. I thought we said we would tell each other everything," Akane replied.

"You have let me go first."

Akane obeyed and released her from his grip. Ranma held his hands as she crawled up his body. She placed his hands against her abdomen. "Akane," she whispered, "I want you to meet your child."

"Ranma you’re..." tried to shout Akane but Ranma held her hands over his mouth, smothering his voice and shook her head. Akane’s excitement died down.

"What?" asked Akane.

"I don’t want them to hear."

"Why?" asked Akane.

"You see how our dad and Kasumi get when you’re sick, imagine what would happen when we tell them. Can you imagine me sitting down doing nothing for nine months!"

The idea seemed preposterous to Akane. He knew what Ranma was getting at.

"This is our child," whispered Ranma again. "I want to raise it. Not my mother, not Kasumi, and certainly not pops."

Akane just hugged her. He was going to be a father. Ranma was having his child. Something crossed his mind.

"What about us having..."

"Its okay, we can do that without endangering the child," Ranma answered.

"How do you know?"

"I asked Dr. Tofu silly baka."

"And what about that aura thing?"

Ranma blushed, "Tofu says that I’ll get kind of emotional."

"Oh!" (pause) Then Akane whispered something lightly into her ear. Ranma did not answer him with words. She only gave him a smile; a smile was all that was needed.

***************

(flash)

(flash)

Ranma was awake now, awake and angry. She heard the soft footsteps in the hallway and the closing of the door. She donned her robe and proceeded to the door of the offender. She didn’t bother knocking.

"Nabiki, give me the film," she demanded. Nabiki had the incriminating roll in her hand

"No Ranma, you still owe me," replied Nabiki.

Ranma made a grab for it, Nabiki evaded and dropped the film into her panties. Dubiously, she knew it was safe there, Ranma wouldn’t dare touch her. Akane would kill him if he even went near another woman.

"Nabiki this is your last warning," replied Ranma evenly. "Give it to me!"

"Make me," taunted Nabiki.

"You asked for it," replied Ranma.

In one quick motion, Ranma ripped apart the front of Nabiki’s pyjamas, exposing both Nabiki and the film. She caught the film as it fell out, crushing it with her hand. Nabiki was shocked: shocked, humiliated and angry. Her pyjamas slid to the floor, leaving her bare. Nabiki pulled the cover from the bed to hide herself and her shame. How dare Ranma do that to her! And in her own room!

"What’s going on here?" asked a voice outside.

Nabiki smiled. It was Akane. Akane would get revenge for her. Akane would back her up. Akane would defend her as he always had, even when she had been wrong.

"Nabiki tried to get photos of me again," replied Ranma. "She held up the destroyed roll."

"Nabiki," replied Akane angrily, "Leave my wife alone."

Nabiki had forgotten the one rule: things never stayed constant in the life of Ranma Saotome.

Akane turned and walked away, not even waiting for her answer. Ranma gave her a fixed stern glare then closed the door as she left.

Nabiki blinked and the flames came to her eyes. She was furious, she couldn’t believe it. Ranma had turned her own brother against her. Akane had just looked on and defended Ranma while not even paying heed to her concerns. He did not even lift a finger against Ranma. Nabiki swore she would get revenge. No one messed with Nabiki Tendo, especially a dumb idiot like Ranma. She swore she would make life hard for Ranma, even if it meant hurting her brother a little.

************

Akane woke up that morning and found no Ranma by his side. He inquired of Kasumi and the others if they had seen Ranma. No one had seen her leave. He wondered where she could have disappeared. It was a bit late; he had picked up the habit of sleeping in.

Well Uncle Genma and Mom had phoned form their home earlier that day. He refused to call that man father-in-law. Ranma had made the quick suggestion that if Genma gave any trouble, Asuza was more that willing to keep him for a week or two. That had left Genma green. It was also very strange that anytime Genma turned into a panda, he started itching ferociously. Dr. Tofu had seen him and recommended some potent flea powder, but nothing seemed to work on whatever was terrorising the panda-man.

Those were however Akane’s least concerns. He was going to be a father and though the idea gave him this warm fuzzy feeling all over his body, his mind kept nagging at him. He was afraid. There was no way he could support a child. He was still in school; Ranma was still in school. She would have to miss a couple of months while having the baby, not that he thought she would mind that very much. There were only a few girls in the school who had had children before they left and as a girl, he had noticed how trying it had been for them. He was almost feeling sorry for making Ranma pregnant, but every time he remembered the child, he remembered how Ranma’s face glowed when she spoke of the child. How the night before she had spoken at length of the beautiful places they could show their children.

That was something they had started doing. Before, they never talked to each other about much and the result had been any misinterpreted remarks and a plethora of insults and fights that served no purpose. The first night at the forest inn, Ranma had suggested that they move to the roof to enjoy the stars. He had quickly agreed because he too loved to watch the stars at night. They had moved to the roof, covering themselves with some thick blankets to reduce the effects of the wind. The night under the stars was magical. He could feel the chill of the cold night air, but that was counteracted by the warm body next to him. He could feel Ranma next to him as her body moulded into his embrace. Her hair was loose and unbound and lay like a silky carpet across his chest. Her hands, soft and tender, were a wonder. She was so strong, yet so soft. The moonlight played against her eyes, allowing them to glitter in a sea of blue. He loved that. He loved holding her near to him. He loved feeling her breath against his neck. He loved feeling her hands as they lay open against his chest, her chest as it raised with each breath, the warm sensation of her body next to his.

Her, there with him, and the stars and the peace, it was heavenly. They started to talk, whispering among themselves and somehow, it happened. Secrets, thoughts from their previous life came tumbling out. They started talking about the parents and the pressure of home, about Ukyou and Ryouga, Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne, their names all found their way into the conversation. They started to dredge up all the feelings from the past months. For the first time, Akane admitted how much he had been jealous of Shampoo and Ukyou. He admitted that he hated being the one not able to cook or not being the best fighter. He told her how much he disliked having his life turned around and analysed every day. Akane remembered crying. Crying about how he felt when he lost his mother. It was the first time he had really let it out, and he was glad that Ranma was there because she was the one who comforted him. She was the one who wiped away his tears with her soft hands, the one who caressed his face, the one who encouraged him to let it all out. So he did. He felt relived that he had said it all. Said how he had been afraid to lose her, how he had been afraid to commit. She held him tightly with her soft hands as all the secrets came out. He cried as she held him there, as her hands caressed his face, soothing all the pain. Then they talked some more. He didn't know how long they had been up there that night, but they did that every night from then on. They talked about their past adventures. About why she had done things in the past and why she was so afraid sometimes. They hardly ever questioned; they just talked.

Sometimes when Ranma spoke, he would bend his head a little to watch her. To watch as the light played off her skin in a moonlight serenade. To see her eyes shine with emotion. To just hold her as she talked. She was like a fire in the night burning forever. He would never let her go, not again. Akane was again pulled from his thought when Nabiki passed by him with the phone. Akane felt a bit uneasy around Nabiki. For some reason she was staring at him as if to say, "You should have backed me up last night." There was no way Akane was ever going to back up his sister on that account. Ranma was pregnant with his child and she was his wife. Her body was sacred to him. That meant no more photos, ever, unless Ranma agreed to them. Where had Ranma disappeared to anyway, they had made a promise that they would do everything together.

"Akane, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure Dad, what’s up?"

"Please come with me."

Akane followed his father. This was highly atypical of him. They were heading into the shrine together. He wondered what was on his father’s mind. Soun bade his son to sit down before him as he pulled a small box from his robes.

"Akane, I am so proud of you. You have brought great honour to the Tendo name by what you have done. (Miraculously, Soun wasn’t crying.) Your mother would be proud of you. She wanted me to give you this after you got married."

He opened the small box, revealing a sparkling gold ring.

"She said that this would always be for her little baby."

Soun passed the ring on to Akane who held it tenderly in his hand. The tears were starting to drop from both men’s eyes. Soun held Akane’s hand and closed Akane’s fingers over the ring.

"I have kept my promise to your mother. I have passed on the ring to her little baby. You have not given your wife an engagement ring yet. You know what must be done."

Soun kissed him on the head.

"Now, go. Go and make your mother and I proud."

Akane rose and bowed to her father.

Soun turned to the shrine.

"Kimiko, our child is married now. She sacrificed herself for her husband. They are so perfect together."

"He is strong. Strong like his mother. I can still see the little girl we raised when I look into his eyes. He has changed though. Ranma has changed him into a man."

Now the tears took him as he cried, silently, the tears of joy overcoming him. A soft gentle breeze caressed is face, calming him. He did not have to ask who sent it.

"I will watch our children grow for the both of us Kimiko."

He smiled. "If you could only see them now. They are so beautiful, the image of their mother."

He smiled. Everything was falling into place.

***************

Akane watched and waited for Ranma. Not that he was fearful of where she was or thought she was doing something that he wouldn’t approve of, rather, he was waiting to give her the gift in his hand. He knew she would love it. They had not got around to buying any rings as yet; they knew they were married, the rings were just a formality. He still wanted her to have it though, a symbol of his love for her, a way to show her that he would love her for all eternity. He knew how strong she was. Stronger than him possibly, but he could not see her as an invincible force. He knew her: knew her well. She was as fragile as he was. He knew her fears; he knew they were real. Her fears of losing the only friends she had her fears of being trapped in the neko-ken. She was not the great warrior she was in his eyes, no, she was the little child who he needed to hold on to because he loved her that much. That and he wanted to be there for her, to protect her even thought she would more likely be the one protecting him. His eyes alerted him to the speck of red coming into the compound. Akane held his breath and clenched the gift in his hand. This was it; this was the moment to give Ranma the ring. He waited until his wife was almost to his side before he spoke.

"Ranma, I have something for you." Ranma gave him a kiss on the cheek and replied, "You can give it to me later, there’s something we have to talk about first."

Akane followed her into the kitchen. It was almost noontime, but today was Sunday, Kasumi had gone to Tofu’s to borrow some books while Nabiki as out doing whatever Nabiki usually did when she was out; that being blackmail, collecting money, and/or collecting information. He sat down on the table in the kitchen while Ranma prepared some sandwiches.

"Hon, go give this to your dad for me?" asked Ranma.

Akane willingly obeyed and carried the plate of food for his father who was presently in the living room watching television. He took the plate from Akane and set it aside, peering and poking it with the chopsticks as if waiting for something to happen. Annoyed, Akane wanted to smack him, but in what seemed a long time ago he realised that anger probably wasn’t always the best way to reply to insults. Holding his temper, he told his father that Ranma made the food. He was amazed as the food just disappeared in front of his eyes. He never knew his father could eat like that. Had he been taking lessons from Genma? Annoyed, Akane returned to the kitchen with the plate to find Ranma with a beautifully prepared picnic basket. He smiled: a picnic would be the ideal romantic situation under the circumstances to give his wife the ring.

Ranma held Akane’s hand as they walked to the park without any confrontation. For some reason, the two were not bothered during their slow relaxing walk. Both had smiles plastered on their faces and both wanted to know what the other was smiling about. This did not go unnoticed by the Neriman populace. Many of who for some reason or another found themselves in the park watched the couple as they walked slowly almost aimlessly through the park. The entwined hands released each other and the boy's hand snaked around the girl's waist; pulling her closer to him. She did not object but instead, she leant against him as they walked and talked so softly that no one else could hear their conversation. The people watched and smiled, remembering times past with significant others at their sides. Fingering little pieces of jewellery that reminded them of moments that were priceless, of memories that would remain with them forever. Ranma and Akane found the perfect spot underneath a tree near the pond: a quiet peaceful spot just for the two of them.

Ranma handed a large oversized sandwich to Akane and waited. Akane watched her quizzically. For some reason, Ranma was intentionally staring at him, as he was about to eat. It was as if she was challenging him to take a bite of the huge thing. Akane took a big bite and bit something hard within the folds of the bread. That was strange, Ranma’s food was nothing like his. Sure it wasn’t as good as Kasumi’s, well he didn’t know if anything could beat Kasumi’s cooking, but her food was delicious all the same. Someday he hoped she would teach him to cook. He had always wanted to be able to cook something savoury. Under Ranma’s watchful gaze, Akane removed the top slice of bread and found a flat velvet covered box in the sandwich. His upper teeth had indented the box with a small notch.

Stealthily, Ranma moved over to Akane’s side and slid her hands around Akane. She took the box gently from his hand and opened it. She took one of the small gold bands and held Akane hand open. She liked the touch of his hands against hers. She slipped the ring onto his finger and closed his hand; then she brought back the words she had learnt to memorise that morning while she had been shopping with her mother. Her eyes were beginning to water.

"I, Saotome Ranma, take you Tendo Akane to have and to hold to love and to cherish as long as we both shall live." She slipped the ring onto his finger.

Both their eyes were tearing.

Akane gently picked up the second ring and held it in his hand. Her held her hand just as she held his. Her hand was soft, soft delicate and gentle. He brought his lips to it and kissed it lightly, then brushed her hand against his face. He could see the colour rising to her cheeks and he smiled as he took the ring and slid it slowly onto her soft fingers.

"And I, Tendo Akane, take you Saotome Ranma to have and to hold to love and to cherish, through curses, demons and (Ranma stifled a giggle through her tears) all sorts of martial artists as long as we both shall live."

He looked deeply into her eyes. The tears were flowing freely from their faces. Her eyes were evidence enough that the decision he had made long ago was the best thing he had done in his life, that she was the best thing to ever happen in his life, and that he would never, ever break that vow. Unlike the others, this time he would die before he ever broke that vow. He was trapped in those sparkling blue eyes.

He held her hands in his and they brought their faces closer together, they kissed for a very long time. When they broke, Ranma leaned on Akane’s shoulder as they ate. After they ate, the two sat there, Akane holding Ranma in his arms as they gazed out into the pond, and to the children playing in the lush fields that exploded with life under the vigil of the earthly father, the sun. It was perfect; everything was perfect. Their rings glistened in the sunlight.

Time passed quickly as they talked between themselves. Neither felt it pass, but the darkening of the skies and the setting of the sun told them it was time to return home. Akane and Ranma cleaned up the picnic area slowly, embracing the time the two of them had spent there. While watching Ranma and how she always seemed to warm his heart, his pocket felt heavy, and he remembered. Akane remembered. He fingered around in his pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He grinned. She had surprised him earlier today, now it was his turn to surprise her.

"Ranma."

"Yes dear?" She liked calling him dear. It had a nice ring to it.

"Would you hold out your hand for me?"

Ranma held out her hand. She had no idea what Akane was planning. She saw him remove a pouch from his pocket. His hand reached in and pulled out a small ring with two diamonds set in the gold. Akane slid the ring along her finger and kissed her on the forehead.

"That ring was my mother’s engagement ring. Now it’s yours."

"Akane I couldn’t possibly..."

Akane place his hand over her mouth. "Shhh...don’t worry about it. Dad agrees too."

She opened her mouth to speak again, but he silenced her with a kiss. They stayed there for a while, watching nature from the protection of the trees. Slowly the sun left the horizon and even though Akane would have liked to stay there with Ranma for eternity, it was time to go.

"Let’s go home..."

Both knew that the events in the park would be etched into their minds forever. It was the calm that would prevail before the storm that would come in the morn.

*************

Akane saw Ranma and himself carrying on the Dojo. He could see many beautiful children around him; they looked so much like their mother. Suddenly he was gasping for breath he could not breathe. Why couldn’t he breathe? He opened his eyes.

"It took you long enough to get up," scolded Ranma. "Kasumi said breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

"What are trying to do? Kill me," blurted out Akane.

"Well if you don’t want me kissing you, all you had to do was ask," scoffed Ranma.

Akane held her before she walked out the door. He wrapped his hands around her.

"I don’t want to get up. How much time do we have?"

"Enough," replied Ranma as she cuddled into his embrace

******************

"Ranma, I thought you said you wanted to be very early to school this morning?" asked Kasumi.

"Well I just wanted to catch a little more sleep."

"What was all that noise this morning?"

Ranma and Akane blushed slightly.

"We uh were doing some morning sparring..." replied Ranma unconvincingly. Yeah, sparring. She had prodded on Akane's nerves one too many times and he refused to budge and let her go. Thus, she had to turn her body and throw Akane away forcefully into the wall. Her husband did not like this one bit and chased her around the room for a long time. With the chasing came a lot of crashing and tripping (on Akane's part) which was finally silenced when Ranma decreed it was time to have a bath.

"Oh my, well I do hope you two are careful, with the baby and all…"

"What!" shouted Ranma and Akane simultaneously.

"Kasumi how did you know?" asked a stunned Ranma.

"Well getting up all early in the morning and going to the bathroom does give it away a bit."

"So that’s why I can never get up earlier that you," replied an enlightened Akane.

Ranma punched him in the shoulder. "Baka!"

"What! What’d I say?" exclaimed Akane and a very painful shoulder. For some reason this seemed all too familiar and very ironic.

"Akane it’s not fun joking about your wife’s morning sickness."

"Sorry Ranma."

Ranma just nodded then Ranma turned a very unhealthy shade as she realised what they had just said in this house. She started to frantically search every corner of the room for listening devices and or listening people. She thought she had seen a couple of persons hiding behind some ordinary objects, but those leads turned out to be false. Finding no one, she returned to a bewildered Kasumi and Akane.

"Say Kasumi, where is everybody?" asked Ranma. She was wondering where Soun or Nabiki was, news like that would usually have them and other Nerimians flying out of the woodwork.

"Oh, daddy went to Uncle Genma’s house to celebrate and Nabiki left extra early this morning."

"Kasumi, just promise me you won't tell anyone."

"Well…I…"

"Please…" begged Ranma with the cutest expression she could muster at the time. That eventually wore Kasumi's defence down.

"Alright…but only if Tofu-sensei allows it."

For Ranma it was already a victory. She already had Dr. Tofu's confidence on her situation.

Ranma and Akane sat very close to each other as they ate. This time, Kasumi ate with them. She noticed a glint in the sunlight.

"Oh my, where did you get those rings. I did not see them yesterday."

"We exchanged them in the park and we went to bed as soon as we came back," replied Akane.

"Kasumi, I hope you don’t mind, but Akane gave me your mother’s engagement ring."

Akane tried to elbow Ranma, but Ranma countered the move, and Akane’s hand was left trapped on Ranma’s lap. A silent tear slipped from Kasumi’s eyes as she gazed upon the ring on Ranma’s finger. Kasumi held Ranma’s hand and touched the ring. She looked Ranma in the eye and smiled.

"The ring is where it belongs. On my little sister’s finger."

The rest of the meal was finished in silence. Akane and Ranma held each other’s hand and a book bag in the other.

"Ready?" asked Ranma.

"Ready," replied Akane.

The two stepped from the Tendo Dojo as man and wife, ready to face the rest of Nerima.

Five blocks later...

"Nihao Airen!"

Ranma saw the bicycle of destruction descend and easily moved out of the way. Akane stood there, his mouth was flapping. Ranma had actually evaded Shampoo’s bicycle. This had to be a record of some sort. Part of him wanted to get jealous, but another part of him wanted to punch himself in the head. Ranma was his wife, plus she was also a girl. There was no reason for him to get jealous when Ranma was with another girl now. Why did he get so jealous all the time anyway? Ranma was as handsome a boy back then, as she was as beautiful a girl now. He smiled, confident that Ranma could handle the situation.

"Shampoo, I have to tell you something."

"No pervert girl here! Airen take Shampoo on date yes," asked a perky Shampoo as she thrust out her assets for Ranma to see. Ranma wasn’t interested. If Akane was, he suppressed the interest, under the hint of a glare Ranma had given him.

"Shampoo, I, I got cursed again."

"What silly thing Ranma say. Airen already in cursed form."

"No Shampoo, this time it’s permanent."

"Airen no play trick on Shampoo," replied Shampoo. A kettle appeared from nowhere and doused Ranma on the head. There was no change. Shampoo staggered back, shocked.

"Airen tell truth," muttered Shampoo. "Ranma come see great grandmother yes. Ranma come get cure."

"Shampoo, I’m late for school. I’ll talk to you later."

"Airen promise?"

Ranma did not speak. Shampoo held onto her arm and refused to dislodge until she received an answer.

"Okay, I’ll came later," surrendered Ranma.

Shampoo gathered her bicycle and scuttled away, her mind obviously preoccupied. Akane was preparing to give Ranma a couple of choice words. She gave him an even glare.

"Don’t even start."

He offered her his hand as a sign of peace. He was surprised when she took it and her arm meandered around his waist and she leaned against him.

"Ranma what’s wrong?"

"I don’t think today is going to be a particularly good day."

Their journey to school was marred only by the visit from Shampoo. Besides her, they had received no visitors or strange interruptions. Not even the ladle lady attacked that morning for some unknown reason. The streets were exceptionally quiet. That calmness was threatened when a block away from the school Ranma and Akane met a lone figure. The poise and garments of the lone figure betrayed his person. His short black hair, his blue top and flowing black pants commanded attention, but the real threat came from the stance and weapon he held aloft. Like a samurai, he held the weapon in front his body with the experience of a proven warrior. His arms held the potential for explosive power and his birth the right of a born leader. Pity he did not have much of a brain… Ranma and Akane disengaged themselves and readied for a fight.

"Wretched cur, how dare you be so familiar with my fiery goddess! Who are you foul demon?"

Akane opened his mouth to answer and was almost able to mouth a word before he was stopped in mid-syllable.

"But isn't it tradition for the most noble to present himself? Thusly I shall introduce myself. I am Kuno Tatewaki champion of the Furiken Kendo Club, senior Group E. I am the rising star of the Kendo world, the Blue Thunder of Furiken High!"

"And still a dull blunder if you ask me," muttered Ranma under her breath.

Akane could not hold it in. He had to laugh at the statement.

"So knave, you laugh at your better. My patience lessens with the fleeting seconds. Tell me thy name so that I may vanquish thee."

"I am Tendo Akane of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and I accept your challenge. The first one to knock the other down wins," replied Akane. This should not be any trouble. He had always defeated Kuno in the past.

Ranma held his shoulder, but Akane gave her an annoyed glance and Ranma removed her hand. It was Akane’s right to answer the challenge.

"Blasphemy! You dare insult the name of my fair sprite Akane Tendo. Die!" shouted Kuno.

Kuno struck out with his bokken. His sheer speed had caught Akane by surprise. If he had reacted a bit slower, there would have been a gash in his arm. Akane’s shirt had been torn along the side and he reached in to protect his chest. A little flow of blood could be seen from his side. He had never seen Kuno this fast before, he never knew Kuno could be this fast. He prepared for Kuno’s next attack.

Kuno was in his world of delusion. Before him was one of those evil sorcerers who wanted to take his loves away from him. He attacked in a blizzard of blows.

Akane tried to block but his hands met with air for nothing came his way. Akane knew what had happened before he opened his eyes and was already angry with Ranma. This was his fight. She was supposed to stay out of it. She never changed. Why wouldn’t she just let him defend himself without butting in?

He opened his eyes to find a very horrifying sight in front of him. In his vision was the demon from the day before but this time the aura around the demon was dazzling and even more powerful.

"How dare you try to kill my Akane!" threatened Ranma in a low voice as she held Kuno’s bokken in a vice grip. Kuno tried to shake it away, but Ranma would not yield.

"Foul sorcerer, what spell have you cast on my goddess that she protects your life with her own," croaked Kuno

Kuno released the bokken as the hand at his throat began to sap his strength from him. He could feel the pressure; he was beginning to gag. Since when had the world become such a dark place!

Akane looked on with horror as Ranma’s small yet powerful fingers closed on Kuno’s throat. Akane just managed to grab hold of Ranma’s hand before she really damaged Kuno. Kuno crumpled to the floor. Akane was not worried about Kuno however. He was worried about Ranma. That scary aura had disappeared. She just stood there, staring at her hands.

"Ranma are you okay?" No response.

"Ranma are you...." This time he needed no answer. He could see that Ranma was visibly shaking, she was moments away from losing her footing. She began to quake uncontrollably.

Akane wasted no time. He lifted his wife off the ground and ran to the only person who he could rely on for help.

Dr. Tofu found Ranma and Akane in his clinic again. Akane was definitely agitated about something. Ranma, Ranma was shaking and kept looking at her hands. Tofu knew she was in shock. He wondered what could be wrong. He studied her and studied her ki again. Ranma was pregnant again. He unsuspectingly gave her a shiatsu massage to decrease her tension and bring her back out of her thoughts. He doubted even she knew he had touched her. Of course, all he needed to do was touch the skin. He was so well practised that all he needed was the slightest touch to manipulate the pressure points of the body. Experience was the key when it came to medicine.

"Ranma..." started Akane.

Ranma ran to him and buried her head in his chest. What the...? What was going on here? thought Akane. Ranma doesn’t cry. She hardly ever cries.

"Oh Akane! Akane, I almost killed him. I almost killed Kuno," she sobbed. "I almost, I almost couldn’t control myself. I lost control. Only for a moment I lost control."

"Shhh...Ranma..." he held her tightly to his chest. She had lost control; Ranma had lost control? Ranma always kept her control, even when in the worst fights,

Ranma always kept her cool. Akane let Ranma cry. He said nothing he mentioned nothing about how unmanly this would be. He just stroked her hair and her face, waiting for her to stop. He cradled her body to his, letting her tears fall undisturbed onto his shoulder. Soon the tears gave way to sniffles and he knew at that point that Ranma was going to be all right.

Tofu stood there patiently. He had seen this with many of his patients who came to see him. Ranma however was a completely different case to all these people. Not only was she a very powerful martial artist, but the training of the cat fist allowed her to voice her subconscious thoughts without the conscious control. This would all be heightened during pregnancy. Cats were not very compromising creatures when it came to the safety of their family. He waited until he could visibly see Ranma controlling herself like she always did. This time however, there was no underlying tone of the machismo that usually accompanied Ranma’s recovery from a particularly stressing situation.

"Ranma, I think the pregnancy is starting to affect you," soothed Dr. Tofu. "Remember the cat-fist training, I think when you were attacked, the cat-fist took over."

"Dr. Tofu, am I starting to lose it?" asked Ranma.

"No, no, it’s the maternal instinct of the cat taking over. Just don’t get into anymore fights," he replied in a fatherly tone.

"I’ll try," replied Ranma.

"Akane could I see you for a minute?"

"Sure sensei."

Tofu escorted Akane into the exam room, leaving Ranma outside.

"Now Akane, I have to warn you. From what I could sense from Ranma’s ki, she’s under a lot of tension and stress. Her body will be going through many changes now that she’s pregnant. She might start to act very moodily from now on. It not very different from how you felt during your periods, but know what you felt during your periods is happening to her on a daily basis."

Akane nodded his head. He remembered how moody he used to get when having a period.

"Remember, whatever you do, you must always show her that you love her. Do you understand?"

"Hai sensei."

"I’m also worried about the cat-fist. When Ranma falls into an emotional state, it might release the hold she has on the cat. You have to be there for her when it happens. You are the only one who can control the cat-fist."

He pushed Akane out into the reception area and put on a fake smile to please Ranma.

"Okay, here’s an excuse for being late to school. You two hurry along now."

"Thanks sensei."

"No problem Akane. Just keep your wife out of trouble for the while."

Akane put a hand around his wife and together they walked back to school. Akane knew that Ranma was troubled. His control was not ideal, but Ranma based her martial arts solely on that element of control. Without it, she would be confused and frightened. His talk with Tofu-sensei earlier had given him even more resolve to look after her. He remembered from her classes that the first few months of pregnancy were always the hardest.

They stepped into their first class for the morning. When they entered the door, they could see the attention shift from the teacher to them. The teacher seemed to notice after a while when she turned around and found all the faces of the students glued onto the doorway.

By now, students were starting to notice things about Ranma that did not fall into place. They knew about Ranma's girl-side transformation. Nabiki sold pictures of Ranma for a handsome price. Students and teachers alike had lined up to buy them and the school was at awe at the transformation. However, although Ranma was wearing the same black pants and red silk shirt, there was a hint of make-up on his face: not enough to grab attention, but enough to highlight his girl side’s beauty. His hairstyle was also different. Instead of a pigtail, his hair was in a ponytail that stopped just under his shoulders. There was also the faint glint of jewellery on his hand. This could not be Ranma. Ranma was the acme of manhood at Furiken; perhaps this was one of his schemes again. Ranma was always up to something. Nabiki had told them that something would happen today. Having been gone for quite a long time, many of the students were praying for Ranma and Akane’s return. School had become so boring and monotonous. There hadn’t been any school fights at all, no commotion to break the regular routine. Even Kuno had settled down a bit. Everyone was waiting for the return of the usual action, which followed Ranma around like a calling.

The girls had their eyes on the handsome boy and were ogling over him just as they had done when Ranma first came to school. The girls eyes were popping out of their heads while the boys who were not rich enough to afford Nabiki’s services (pictures, they didn’t really care if that was his girl form, it was still hot.) were drooling over Ranma. Everyone wanted to now who this strange boy was. The girls wanted to date with him, if those damned martial artists hadn’t taken him as yet. Everyone instinctively knew that this boy was important to the puzzle between Ranma and Akane.

Many rumours had spread after Ranma had left for those few weeks. Akane had explained that Ranma had transferred to another school. She had looked very troubled during those days and had been uncharacteristically depressed. Yuka and Sayuri had pestered her to no end trying to find out what was bothering her but she did not tell anyone. However, all those who knew Ranma and Akane, knew that Akane was suffering from heartache. It was so evident in her day-dreamy dazed expressions during class. She even slept in class, something closely attributed to Ranma, but not Akane. When Akane had then disappeared with no tangible explanation from the Tendo’s everyone suspected a kidnapping by some martial artist or something of the sort. Trouble never seemed far from those two. Ranma was back, but where was Akane?

The students from other classes who had paid a hefty share of their allowances to hear what Nabiki had forecasted to be earth-shattering news all had themselves put out in the hallway just to sneak a peek as to what this earth shattering news was. Nabiki was in class counting money. She was in fact the only person in class since the teacher was also interested in the news. Revenge would come later, money first.

"Ah, children, I see we have some new students in class today. Please, introduce yourselves."

"Well, we’re not really new students," replied Ranma. "I am Tendo Ranma and this is my husband, Tendo Akane."

There was a hushed silence in the classroom and in the crowded hallway, several thumps were heard as many students and teachers alike had fainted.

"Oooh look, dominoes!" commented a certain girl from the hallway who had recently transferred from another school.

"A marriage, I will not allow it!" bellowed the one person whose ears seemed eternally filled with thick wax. "What sorcery has befallen my goddess! Who is this wretch that dare sully the name of the fair Tendo Akane!"

Kuno charged.

This time Ranma did not attack, she just moved out of the way as a very large and charged mallet descended on Kuno’s head. The flattened kendoist was then punted out through a window. The other students were stunned. Ranma held Akane’s hand and pulled him to the back seats of the class…

As everyone came out of shock, Ranma and Akane could feel the heat of the stares directed towards them. Luckily there were only two seats in the back of the class. As class settled, and the others were compelled to face forward, Ranma and Akane held each other’s hand tightly, giving the other, the support they needed. Even the teacher was giving them certain uncomplimentary stares. Ranma and Akane noticed when they settled down that a certain chef was not at school today.

School had ended to the relief of both Ranma and Akane. If they had received any more stares, they probably would have melted. They had eaten lunch together. Kasumi had insisted that Ranma make their lunch and they had to succumb to her judgement, besides, how do you argue with Kasumi? The really annoying thing though was the stares they got from their friends when they did anything remotely romantic. They had shared a soft kiss during lunch and found to their amazement that everyone was giving them disapproving stares.

Hiroshi, Diasuke, Yuka and Sayuri, the pair’s closest school friends, tried once or twice to talk to them, but every time they got close to the pair, their peers made snide comments and remarks to dissuade them. The girls were turned away but Hiroshi and Diasuke did not care. They never cared what anyone thought about them anyway, so why would they care now? To them, Ranma was still Ranma: a girl now maybe, but a girl who could kick their ass anytime she wanted to. They just could not picture Ranma as a girl: not as yet anyway. The girls fed on the boys’ courage as they joined the other four under the tree.

Ranma and Akane had been alone for most of the entire school day if you discounted the ravings of Kuno and lunch. Nabiki had disappeared to anyone knows where and by some work of god, neither Shampoo nor Mousse appeared. Neither expected to see Ryouga’s face for a long time.

Ranma and Akane could just imagine the rumours that were being spread. They didn’t have to listen far to hear them at all. Akane had easily got upset at the hint of a rumour passing, but Ranma’s hand on his served to cool him off enough. Ranma was pissed, but not pissed enough to go around banging heads-although that sounded like a pretty good idea. She had had enough fighting for one day. She never thought she would think that, with her training and all, but she wasn’t in the mood to flatten half the population of Furiken today, perhaps tomorrow. She just wanted to last through the day.

Despite all this though, the young couple wasn’t that phased. They had each other, they had their family, and that was all that really mattered to them. Friends would come later; they had been through too much to let this get to them. Akane found himself being led somewhere.

"Ranma where are we going?" he asked.

"To the Nekohanten."

"Why?" asked Akane suspiciously.

"Remember I promised Shampoo I’d come over after school."

"Do you want me to come in with you?" asked Akane.

"You don’t have to if you don’t want to," replied Ranma.

'Yeah right!' thought Akane. He would be damned if he would leave her alone for a minute with Shampoo or Cologne.

"Hey, how come you’re not on the fence?" asked Akane.

"I would be if I could get a klutz like you to balance up there," taunted Ranma.

"Why you...mmmph..." replied Akane as Ranma took advantage of him and pressed her lips against his. Then she pushed him down unceremoniously.

"What’d I tell you, such a klutz," she remarked.

"Why you?" growled Akane.

Ranma tried the cutest pose she knew.

"Oh Akane you wouldn’t dream of hurting your precious wife, would you?"

"Just try me."

Ranma evaded his lunges and dodged his every attempt to catch her. Akane suddenly found himself falling to the ground as he misjudged his step. He felt a soft hand at the side of his face.

"Akane, I really sorry. I only wanted to have some fun." Akane did not respond; he was too busy trying to play the part of the distressed victim.

"Hon, I really am sorry."

Akane found the role wasn’t him. He flipped around and grabbed Ranma’s hands tightly.

"I have you now, Ranma."

"Oh, and what do you plan to do?"

Akane hadn’t expected that. He thought Ranma would have tried to escape. Ranma closed the gap between them and started rubbing her body against him. Akane was confused. He was supposed to be winning with that move. He hadn’t expected Ranma to do that. He had expected her to try and, not that he wanted to and, arghhh! He released her hands and took the lead.

"C...come on Ranma, we do want to get to the Nekohanten before dinner," replied a very red and breathless Akane who was followed closely by a smiling Ranma. A little birdie in Ranma’s head shouted, "Ranma Wins: Flawless Victory!"

Outside the door of the Nekohanten, Ranma and Akane gave each other’s hand a squeeze and entered.

"Nihao Airen!" shouted Shampoo as she attempted her tried and proven inescapable Amazon glomp. This time however, Ranma managed to evade Shampoo’s hands and the purple haired girl latched onto a post in the room behind Ranma. Shampoo was evidently not amused. Neither was the post, if it could talk.

"Why husband leave Shampoo for weeks after giving Shampoo kiss," asked Shampoo in a sultry fashion. Shampoo ignored the other male in the room. He was of no consequence. She knew she was close. Ranma had kissed her and could Ranma kiss. Her mouth still felt warm from that kiss. She would get Ranma to come back to China with her as her husband.

"Shampoo, where’s the old ghoul?"

Ranma felt the rapping of a cane against her head. How could the old ghoul creep up on her like that?

Cologne always enjoyed these little sessions with her son-in-law, they always proved very entertaining. However, years of training had alerted her to detect subtle changes in the ki of others and she could feel another presence in the room. It was a very strong presence indeed. Cologne tried to pinpoint the location. She checked off herself, Shampoo, the boy, then Ranma…Ranma. It was Ranma. Cologne could see the difference and was appalled.

She knew Ranma as well as she knew her great grand daughter. All her years had given her the experience to expect certain things from the younger generation. They were usually that predictable. This however was something she had never predicted from Ranma. She knew which buttons to push and she knew how to lengthen her vacation in Japan, but this was totally foreign to her. This was nothing becoming of a warrior.

"Shampoo go to your room now! I have something to discuss with son-in-law."

"But great-gran…"

"Do as you are told!" cackled the old woman.

Shampoo gave her most beguiling invitation to Ranma before she unwillingly exited the room. Cologne waited until Shampoo was out of earshot and then focused her attention on the two young people in front of her. Her gaze was mostly expressionless, but it held a great degree of anger behind it. This was not lost on Ranma. Ranma had seen that gaze before. It was the same calculating expressionless tone that was used when you were trying to decide what was the best approach to take to a particularly stressing problem. Ranma knew that at the moment she was the source of that problem.

"When?"

"When what?" replied Ranma trying to sound innocent but not doing a very god job of it.

"When did you decide to become a woman, I can sense the child son-in-law," remarked Cologne with as much venom as a disturbed cobra.

Never at one moment during the discussion did Cologne even acknowledge Akane’s presence. Her attention was focused entirely on Ranma and she did not even act as if Akane was even there. This was really getting to him, but he controlled his temper, for Ranma’s sake.

"It wasn’t my decision," replied Ranma, hoping to disarm the situation.

"Then...who?" asked Cologne, both really angry and intrigued at the same time.v

"Happosai..."

"What!" exclaimed Cologne genuinely shocked.

"He tricked a spirit into cursing me permanently," replied Ranma.

"So I guess this is Akane and he is the father of the child," assumed Cologne as she finally acknowledged Akane's presence with a flick of her wrist.

The couple held each other’s hands.

"Leave me now."

"Huh?" replied Ranma questioningly.

"Leave child. I must rest and think, but do not think I will give up on you that easily."

"I’m not that lucky," muttered Ranma.

"No you are not," replied Cologne with a smile, a genuine smile this time. Ranma turned but stopped. "Uh...Cologne, could I borrow something?"

"What’s that?"

They spoke in whispers so that Akane could not hear. He frowned on that. He wanted to know what was going on, but if Ranma didn’t want to tell him, she had her reasons. Cologne in the other hand, he did not trust her period.

"Are you sure you want that?" asked Cologne.

Ranma nodded. A quick trip into the interior of the establishment and Cologne returned with a small package, which Ranma pocketed.

"Remember, use it carefully," warned Cologne. She did not know what Ranma wanted with that old thing. It was hardly worth all the trouble it had caused in the past. She didn’t even consider it an Amazon treasure. It was for her just a flashy piece of jewellery that had a slight bit of magic to it.

"Don’t worry ol’...um...Cologne I have the perfect use for it."

Ranma and Akane left.

"You think that’s the end of them?" asked Akane

"No, it’s only the beginning," replied Ranma.

"So what did you get?" asked Akane.

"I’m not telling you," replied Ranma in a high mocking seductive voice that served only to tempt Akane further.

"I bet I can make you tell me!"

"I’d like ta see you try!"

Akane grabbed Ranma in a fierce embrace and kissed her. He tried his best to outlast her, but she was adamant in her pursuit of victory. When they broke, Ranma was hardly the worse for wear, however the effects showed on Akane. Akane chided himself, he should have known it was a lost battle from the beginning.

"You win." He muttered grudgingly, but Ranma smiled at him again. That smile, arghhh...what could he do! He was forced by the smile to put his hand around her. Neither heard the sounds of someone fainting behind them.

At the Tendo Dojo...

"Akane, Ranma, how was your day?"

"It was okay I guess," responded Akane.

"Ranma, could you help me in the kitchen?"

"Sure, no problem Kasumi."

Akane watched as Ranma left his side for the kitchen; they had talked about this between themselves. They had agreed that Ranma would cook. Akane couldn’t believe that he had swallowed his pride and let her win that conversation, then again, this new Ranma somehow seemed able to win almost every argument with him. Ranma was starting to really resemble the male Ranma of old. She was becoming more control oriented again, she took charge of the situation like she always had, except this time she did it with a certain finesse that definitely had to be feminine.

He was glad that the Ranma of old seemed to be returning. That was the Ranma he had fallen in love with so long ago. Perhaps if he had said something then, no, if he had said something, or if Ranma had said something, they would have been married in a second. That was something they had agreed on in the discussions on the roof. He actually found himself preferring how things had worked out. This way, the decision had been well not entirely theirs, but at least, their fathers had not forced them into marriage.

He had spent some of his time answering phone calls form some of his friends apologising for how they had acted during the school day. The strange thing was that it was those two boys Hiroshi and Diasuke who had apparently just accepted whatever they said and treated Ranma just how they treated her before. It was strange. Akane never knew that boys could be so supportive.

Akane was genuinely surprised when Nabiki stepped into the room looking very distracted. Something really big had to be going on to get Nabiki distracted. He would have offered his help, but knowing Nabiki, whatever was on her mind, was usually related to money. Akane had to keep himself occupied. He found himself wandering into the Dojo.

Nabiki was in a quandary. There had to be some way of getting back at Ranma without involving Akane. She was surprised at Mousse’s reaction when she asked if he wanted to beat up Ranma. Mousse had backed away and just disappeared. He had actually refused a chance to get back at Ranma. That was amazing. She doubted the news that Ranma’s curse was permanent had reached the Nekohanten as yet, but Mousse looked genuinely frightened after she had mentioned Ranma.

Nabiki reached for her checklist. No Mousse. Ucchan’s was closed for some reason and there was no answer on the phone. Ranma had probably told Ukyou about the situation. Apparently the girl hadn’t taken the news well. Scratch Ryouga, he was too hard to find. Shampoo could not be found. Nabiki had run out of ideas. She couldn’t even take a little advantage of Ranma’s body. One little photo and she could make millions. A Company had offered her a contract for pictures of the pig-tailed girl. What could she do? What could she do?

She let her mind wander, hoping some idea would miraculously appear in her mind. Hoping was against all the odds however. Things usually never appeared to her at just the right time. She was always one to plan ahead. Her ability to grasp control of situations was what she delighted in.

Troubled, she sat on her bed and slipped on a pair of earphones. She was just about to switch on her radio when the phone rang. The phone? Who could that be?

Ten minutes later, Nabiki was grinning; a grin that could be compared to the smile of a predator just before it catches its prey. She was going to have some fun. With one phone call and a little forethought, she would have what she wanted.

  *************  

Ranma and Akane found themselves surrounded by tons and tons of books in their room. To find out more about Ranma's unique Nekofied disposition, Mom and Dr. Tofu had recommended research. The results were piles of books, which varied from hunting manuals to aphrodisiacs that could be made from cat oils. A lot of the material was esoteric and did not help them in any way. But, there was a chance that they might find some useful facts. Akane sat down on the bed, his head cushioned by two fluffy pillows. His hands were occupied by both a book and a pen to make scribbles on a pad at the side of the bed. Ranma lay her head on his thigh and was busy speed-reading the books next to her. That was one of the advantages of a private school, they actually tried to teach you techniques that made sense. Spending less time reading and more time on the Art was something that had immediately captured Ranma's interest. The pad next to her held many scribbles in a language that could not be recognised by another person on the planet.

Hours later, Nodoka peeked in to see how the children were doing. The library was nearer to her house so she had advised them that staying the night would be in their interest. Actually, she just wanted to see her daughter and have her in the house. It was nice to have the whole family in the house again. She had missed having someone to check in on for so long. To occupy her time, she had helped a lot of the women around her old house raise their children, but all she wanted were her own to raise.

Nodoka smiled. She saw two piles of books. One obviously was the pile that had been read since the books had just been thrown in the pile with no care as to if they landed properly or if they fell to the side of the pile. The other was almost as tall as the read pile. They would have to stay another night; she would of course have to insist.

Nodoka removed the books that littered the bed and pulled her daughter from her position to join her husband in his supine position. She never thought that her daughter could be that heavy. She was a lot heavier than she had been in her shorter and less matured form. Nodoka pulled the covers over the pair and noticed that Akane's hand had fallen over his wife. As if they knew each other's presence, they immediately began to snuggle closer together. Amused, Nodoka quietly exited the room and slid the door shut.

************

Ranma and Akane squared off in the Dojo. Akane was keenly interested in trying to defeat Ranma. All he had to do was land anything on her. She stood before him with a cocky grin plastered across her face.

"Come on Akane, let’s see what a klutz like you can do."

"I bet I get you this time!" retorted Akane.

With that, Akane executed an impressive array of kicks and punches. He even thought some of them might have connected, but might was a very large word when it came to fighting a certain Ranma Tendo and when he allowed a split second opening to appear, he found himself against the wall of the Dojo. Although his eyes were closed, he felt a figure lurking over him and he lashed out, only to have himself thrown again across the room like a wooden dummy.

"Okay, Akane. I think it’s time I really start to give you some training."

Akane got up from his prone position against the wall.

"What?"

"Come," Ranma ordered. He obeyed.

"Attack me again."

Although from experience Akane knew he would not win any of these battles, he began his attack and was pleasantly surprised when he found something solid against his attempts. Ranma was actually blocking him! And not just with a flick of the wrist, but with her body. A surprised Akane slipped a little in his attack and found himself the recipient of a well-placed and very hard punch to the abdomen. Winded and hurt, he doubled over in pain, but not until he felt something warm and gentle cradling his face.

"Are you all right?" asked a concerned Ranma.

"What...what the hell did you do that for?" shouted a shocked Akane.

"You left an opening," Ranma pointed out as a matter of factly.

"Why did you hit me so hard!" shouted back Akane as he brushed her hands off him. "That hurt you know!"

"I just wanted to see how you would handle some real training," she replied absently as she got up. He could hear the strained emotion in her voice. "If you want me, I’ll be with Kasumi."

Akane sat down and tried to sort things out for once. He had reacted very harshly to that strong punch. He never knew Ranma had punches like that. It really hurt, and it he could feel a seriously nasty bruise forming where she had hit him. Why had she done it? Was it something he had done during the day? They had got along so well thus far. What had happened? What went wrong?

"You’re taking this too seriously," spoke a familiar voice.

"Dad?"

"All this time you’ve been complaining that Ranma doesn‘t treat you like a martial artist and the first time she gives you a good punch you act like a cry-baby!"

"What! But she...she hit me, she really hit me!"

"So!" countered Soun. "How are you supposed to get any better if she keeps on pulling her punches? Act like a man Akane."

"But I’m a girl!" replied Akane. Then he realised what he said.

"Not to me. But even if you were a girl, it would be a shame to our family that the Heir to the School was afraid of a little training." Akane made a move to retort, but his father was already out of range.

Damn him, thought Akane. He started doing some katas, unconsciously and only caught himself after a few minutes. Ranma had taught him that. She had made him do those over and over again until he could actually picture it in his mind. Why had she hit him so hard? In all their fights and practices, he had never hit her that hard. Act like a man Akane, hah, he was supposed to be a girl.

"So this is what I went through all that for."

Akane looked up and saw a shadow. A ghostly hand reached out and slapped him across the face, sending him spiralling into the air.

"What the hell did you do that for?" shouted Akane as he turned angrily on an already pissed Mai who was materialising out of the air.

"I don’t believe it! She tries to make you better and you run around like a sissy!"

"Hey, you take that back!" Akane lashed out at the apparition and his hand went straight through her.

"Do you know what she was doing? Do you?"

Akane bottled his anger, stopped for a second and considered the question.

"No."

"Well let me tell you what she was doing! She was trying to see if you were ready for the next step in your training."

"What!"

"Hrumph. I’m not even a martial artist and I know that. And you know what, you failed. One punch, you couldn’t even stomach one punch. How are you supposed to get better when you can’t even take one punch."

Akane stumbled to the floor.

"She was testing me?"

"Yep!" replied Mai. "And guess what, she doesn’t want to do it again. Do you know how much it took for her to hit you?"

Akane couldn’t answer. How could he have been so stupid? Of course she would have to test him sometime.

"What can I do?" asked Akane meekly.

"Well for starters, you should apologise, after that, you’re on your own."

"Thanks Mai."

"You shouldn’t be thanking me. If your father wasn’t here, I probably would have tortured you."

"Wha...?" replied Akane taken aback.

"Lighten up Akane, geez...." With that, Mai disappeared back to wherever she spent her days.

"Akane dinner!" called Kasumi’s voice from inside the kitchen.

Akane steadied himself, reading for what must be done. He seated himself at the table and the others sat down. The tension between Ranma and Akane could easily be seen. Ranma pointedly ignored Akane while Akane was trying to make conversation with her. Finally, it looked like Ranma had enough and left the table leaving Akane and the others stupefied, all except Soun. He had seen that look when he was younger. It surprised him just how much Ranma happened to look like Kimiko when she did that.

"You’d better go after her," advised Soun. Akane took the advice immediately and scrambled after Ranma.

"Boy is he in for it," commented Nabiki. And so was she, Nabiki added in her mind. Her employer’s plan was not long in coming.

Akane rushed to find his wife as he scrambled up to their room. She was not there. He heard the hissing of the shower. Neglecting manners, Akane stumbled as he made his way to the bathroom, blinded by the shirt he was trying to pull off he banged into the wall. Cursing under his breath, he opened the door and entered the changing room. There he dispensed with his clothes. He slid open the partition to the bath and found a red head girl in a battle stance waiting for him.

"The only way you are getting in here is if you stand up and fight like a man. I ain’t gonna have no sissy woman for a husband!" challenged Ranma.

Akane was not backing down. Not now: not ever. This was his last chance to prove himself and he was not going to lose it. His abdominal region still hurt like hell, but Ranma was giving him his test again. He would be damned if he would fail.

Akane attacked viciously, trying to force Ranma on the defensive. This however, was not the case as Ranma dodged his attacks and delivered a forceful palm strike to the chest, sending him flying. Akane was determined not to lose, he flipped using his hand and whatever breath he had left and faced Ranma again.

The sweat started mixing with the steam and the bathroom became a mini sauna. The steam added to the difficulty in vision. He attacked aiming for Ranma’s feet. She jumped slightly over his feet and somersaulted over him. Akane had expected this and lashed out behind with one foot. Ranma was unfortunately, ready for him. She parried his strike and kicked him swiftly in the chest three times. Akane doubled over, but managed to slip in an attack, sweeping his foot across the bathroom as he went down. He was surprised when his feet connected. He heard a soft thud and struggled to get up only to be assaulted.

Akane felt Ranma crush him against the floor and succumbed to her as she now tormented him with a flurry of ferocious kisses. Akane knew he had passed this time. He grabbed the back of her head and began kissing her hungrily. This was the Ranma he loved. This was the intensity he enjoyed that was her and he became intoxicated with her presence as he drank in her taste, her touch and her scent.

Above, Mai hovered over the pair and smiled as they held each other tightly.

**************

A week or so had passed at Furiken high and not without incident. Some boys had taken a liking to teasing both Ranma and Akane and found out the hard way that Ranma was not going to just stand idly by like the first day of class. Those boys found themselves hanging from the roof of the school from the feet by pieces of rope. Underneath, Kuno shouted at them about their insults towards his goddess. Akane had developed a special treatment for Kuno. When Kuno attacked him, Akane took the initiative and nailed Kuno to the school walls, literally.

An immobile Kuno was subjected to the most heinous of treatment by some of the other students. Even Gosunkugi exacted a little vengeance by drawing hexes on Kuno’s face.

The girls did not much like Ranma, except for Yuka, Sayuri and a few others who had become ashamed at their treatment of their former friends. Diasuke and Hiroshi also joined in the group that had lunch with the cursed Tendos. That was the little group that gathered under the large tree in the courtyard during lunch. It seemed that most of the school avoided that particular place. Some of the girls tried to take advantage of Ranma, thinking that Ranma would not hurt them. Boy were they wrong! Some of the girls found out just how much Ranma knew about their personal lives when they threatened Ranma. Even Nabiki did not know that much!

Soon the threat of being physically assaulted by two martial artists discouraged any attempt by the students who disliked them to make any more insulting remarks.

This afternoon found Ranma alone sitting in the Dojo. Akane had gone out with Yuka. Although Ranma had been invited to go along, she did not feel like it. At times like this when Akane was not around, Ranma practised the Art. She had stumbled upon something the other day when her father had tried her patience.

Now Ranma was forcing herself to hold a little ball of ki in her hand. She was sweating profusely from the intense concentration. She had almost held one for five intense minutes when she sensed someone close at hand. Someone she knew she was at odds with. Ranma went into a meditative stance awaiting her visitor.

"Hello, Ran-ma, are you there?"

"Yeah, what do you want Ucchan?" asked Ranma with no emotion whatsoever in her voice.

Ukyou Kuonji had been traversing the major parts of Japan for the past months. She needed to think to clear out her mind. Many things had come to pass in the last few months: among them being her attack on her best friend. She realised that was all they were really, best friends. She had wanted it to be more, wanted it to be more substantial, but he did not see her in the same light

She thought he had betrayed her. Betrayed her by marrying someone else. She should have been his bride, but now he was a she. Looking back on it now, could she have sacrificed her life for Ranma? She would initially have said yes, but after all the debating from the last few months, she would have to say no. She had dressed in men’s clothes for so long, but she did not think or act like a man. Underneath it all, she was a woman and the more she thought about it, the more she knew she could never curse herself willingly to become a man forever.

She realised she could live without being married to Ranma. She had done it for almost a whole year, but her heart panged for Ranma’s love and friendship. After all was said Ranma was and always had been her best friend. She had always looked out for her and had always been there to cheer her up when she was down.

Ukyou did not want to admit it, but she had treated Ranma very harshly after she found out that Ranma was married to Akane. Ukyou did not want bad blood between them. She had few true friends like Ranma and without Ranma, she felt a bit lost. Ranma had somehow become the one dependable constant in her life and she did not know if she could live with them being at odds.

"Ran-chan, I’m sorry for what I did to you. I want to be friends."

"Are you sure about that Ucchan? I can’t marry you, cause I’m already married to Akane and there’s no way to change back to my male form," replied Ranma with such conviction in her voice that Ukyou’s heart pained knowing she had no chance. The tears were creeping down her face.

"Y-y-yes Ran-chan. I love you. Even if I can’t have you, I still love you. If I can’t be your fiancée, I’ll settle for you best friend."

Ranma heard the sincerity in those words. She was never one to dwell on the past, if she was, her father would surely not be here.

The two women gazed upon each other’s eyes and hugged each other tightly, the tears rolling down their faces.

"I love you Ucchan."

"Me too Ran-chan."

They stared at each other some more before Ranma felt it was time to break the tension.

"Wanna hear all that’s happened so far? I’m sure you’re gonna love this."

"What’s it about?"

"Oh, about a certain panda and a diet."

"A diet!"

"Come on, let’s go over to Ucchan’s and I’ll fill you in."

The two girls ran down the street laughing away at the jokes they told each other. The tension and all their differences forgotten, just like it should be between friends. It was another victory for Ranma.

***********

Akane Tendo was not a happy man. He could not find his wife anywhere. She had not told anyone she was going out and now he was getting worried. There were not a lot of places Ranma could have gone and though he knew she could take care of herself ever since he knew her, he got over anxious when he did not know where she was. At this very moment he was irritatingly pacing across the living room, driving Nabiki nuts. Nabiki was not one to hide her opinion and she told her brother several times what she thought of his behaviour. Akane ignored her all the same, waiting for his wife to return. When he heard voices from outside, he almost smashed through the wall. Seeing Ranma, he immediately scooped her up in his arms and hugged her.

"Just where have you been?" he demanded.

"With Ucchan," Ranma simply replied.

Ukyou glanced over the couple.

"Wow Akane, is that you? Ranchan said you looked handsome, but never said you looked this good."

Both girls giggled as Akane blushed at the comment.

"Come on Akane, let’s go out to eat. There’s someone you should meet. Ucchan, you can come to if you like?"

"No thanks Ranchan, I’ve got to fix up the restaurant for tomorrow."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye Ukyou."

"Bye Akane, Ranma," she replied as Ranma dragged Akane away at a very fast pace. They sure did make a cute couple. She sighed once again and made for home.

Ukyou Kuonji opened her room once again to find everything where she had left it. She and Ranma had re-established their friendship again and she wondered if it wasn’t stronger now than before. She still couldn’t believe half of what Ranma had told her and she knew Ranma had definitely not told her the whole story. Ukyou did not mind that though, there were certain things that should be kept a secret. Ukyou herself had talked at length about her experiences over the last few months and it was strange to have Ranma as the listener rather than the storyteller. Ukyou had to admit though, Ranma was a pretty good listener when she wanted to be.

*************

"So where are you taking me?" asked Akane as he was literally being pulled along by Ranma.

"It’s a surprise, but we have to get there early."

After about five more minutes, Ranma pulled him into a restaurant.

"Here?" asked Akane. Ranma ignored him.

Ranma walked up to the usher.

"The Nasagi table please?"

"And you are?’

"Ranma Sao…Tendo." She still made that mistake sometimes.

"Ahh…Miss Tendo. You host has been awaiting your arrival. Please, follow me."

Akane was surprised really at what was happening. This restaurant was exorbitant in their prices and only the very well off even bothered with the place. For the two of them to be here…

"Ranma, so good of you to come, and early too. I didn’t expect you for another half hour." The woman stuck out her hand. Akane recognised the face immediately. "Mr. Tendo, I’m pleased to meet you once again. My name is Tamaka Nasagi and I’m here representing my company Fujitsu Enterprises. Please sit."

Akane and Ranma sat down. Ranma was smiling while Akane was confused.

"However, I cannot discuss business on an empty stomach so if you will join me."

Three platters were brought to the table and opened before their eyes. When Akane saw the feast before him he gagged. Everything in front of him looked delectable. His mouth was watering at the sight alone. Whoever was the chef, sure had a way with preparing and arranging the food. What was also strange was that every one of the dishes in front of him was a particular entrée that he favoured.

"Your wife picked out the food. I hope it is to your satisfaction," answered Tamaka to the unasked question.

Akane was going to thank his wife, but she was already eating and so was Tamaka.

After a sumptuous feast, Akane had to fight the urge to pat his stomach. The tea was brought and Akane could barely find space to place the drink.

After the meal had been given time to settle Tamaka looked them both square in the eye.

"My company has seen your photos and have asked me to offer you a contract. My superiors have discussed the matter and they believe that you two are a perfect fit to model for their clothing department. I have hammered out a contract that I think you might agree with. Tell me what you think." She handed them identical copies of the same document.

"I will leave you two alone to decide."

Akane turned to Ranma.

"You did this?"

"Yes," replied Ranma rather excitedly.

Akane wasted no time. He reached for her, held her tightly by the waist and kissed her.

"Ranma this is perfect! With this, we can stay in school and support the baby without much trouble. Oh no! The baby, you’ll get fat and…(wham)" Ranma’s elbow found it’s way to Akane’s head.

Akane was quick to voice his apologies.

"So we’ll accept then?" asked Akane.

"No, not yet. This is too little. Nabiki gets more money from her photos than this. We have to ask for more."

"More? Don’t you think 4,000 yen per shoot is enough."

"Nope, I’m sure Nabiki gets about 30,000 when she sells her photos and this time we’ll be in a magazine."

Akane just stared at Ranma as Tamaka came back to the table.

"Ms. Nasagi the contract reads very well, but I think the pay is too little."

Tamaka was ready to open her mouth, but another voice beat her to it.

"I agree, 4,000 is petty cash. Don’t you agree Washi."

"Yes."

"Mai!" exclaimed Ranma and Akane. Mai continued her conversation with her business tone, trying to sound like a professional. The suit she wore helped.

"That Nabiki girl got a contract for what 50,000 yen and that's only for a local contractor." Ranma and Akane’s eyes lit up. "How much do you think they are worth Washi?"

A huge calculator appeared out of nowhere. Strangely, no one was computing with it. It seemed to have a life of its own as it's monitor glowed with a soft green light. Green blots kept flickering on and off and a slight hum could be heard emanating from the pseudo-calculator.

"Hmm…with their popularity, their figures, forms, dexterity, their innocent faces, not to mention the makeover of the curses and the relative widespread demand for photos of them, I think about 400,000 yen per shoot sounds reasonable."

"Reasonable!!" shouted Tamaka.

"Well of course. Your company has been trying to approach Ranma for months now. Surely that much time an effort must mean that they would be a good investment," replied Mai slyly.

Tamaka grumbled and changed the figures on the contract. Washi read it over her shoulder, which wasn’t very hard since he was a spirit, an invisible one to mortals at the moment. Satisfied, he winked to Mai who gave Ranma and Akane the okay sign.

After the signing, Tamaka shook the hands of all four around the table.

"We will call and let you know about the shoots," she said before bowing and leaving. She left however with a smile on her face. Her company had beaten the competition. It had cost them a pretty penny, but they had a contract and she was sure that sales would rise markedly after the introduction of their new models.

Ranma and Akane were overjoyed. They had never expected to get so much money. Because of their lifestyle, they would not have much use for money so they knew instinctively that most of it would be saved for when they really needed it. Right now, it was time to celebrate, so that’s what they did, in their own special way. They had a special place to visit when they wanted to be alone; one that cast them a view of the trees of summer and of the frolicking that accompanied the said season. It would always remain in their hearts, and their memories.

Under the cool shade of a wide tree, Ranma and Akane sat. Amazingly, only children seemed to pass by. Children who were playing tag, who were just relaxing and letting the day go by. Blessed children. Their innocence was compared to none and Ranma could remember a time when she was like these children, innocent and untouched by the evils of the world.

Innocence, the word triggered something in her mind. She remembered a face of an old uncle who used to pass by to baby-sit when her mother went shopping. That uncle had shown her a lot in his time. She remembered something her old uncle had given her before he stopped visiting: an old unpolished stone worth next to nothing. She had always kept the stone to remind her of the old man, and she still had it to this day. She smiled when she remembered what he had told her to do with it. She slid her head slightly down Akane's shoulder, allowing her to look him straight in the eyes. She closed her eyes and reached for something that readily materialised in her hands.

"Akane…"

"Mmm…"

She took his hand and held it open then placed her hand with the stone over it so that he could not see it.

"I want you to have this…"

Akane looked at the old stone she had given him. It didn't look like anything special.

"What is it?"

"My heart."

Akane gave her a disbelieving look.

"Just trust me and keep it close to here…"

She closed his hand around the stone into a fist and held it right above his heart. Akane did not object. This was by no way the weirdest thing that had ever happened between him and Ranma. It disappeared into his hands…

***********

Nabiki finally had it all done. The components that she had to provide for the operation had all been supplied. It actually wasn't her operation, but others did not need to know that she was being paid to do this, and paid very well if she might add. All she had to do now was separate Ranma and Akane for a couple of minutes. That was easier said than done since the two never seemed to be apart for long.

Nabiki however had a plan. A simple plan, but an effective one. Finding Akane alone watching TV she set about her revenge.

"Oh Akane, Ranma left you this note."

Nabiki handed the note to Akane who read it off quickly.

"Why didn’t Ranma tell me this earlier?" he asked out loud before bounding out of the house.

One down, one to go.

Nabiki grinned. Part one was completed. She wondered what her employer had in store for plan two.

Akane was running as fast as he could to The Saotome House. He was going full tilt until he spied what looked like a plume of red hair turning around a corner. Thinking it was Ranma, he ran around the corner and lifted the person off from the pavement.

He found himself on the ground when a bag impacted on his head.

"Oh Akane, sorry about that, you must have mistaken me for Ranma." Akane nodded, his head hurt. Who knew Mom could be that strong? "But why are you over here? Ranma told me she was going to go by Ukyou tonight."

"Ukyou? But she told me…"

Akane smelled a rat. He took a better look at the note he had been given. That was not Ranma’s handwriting. Nabiki had fooled him. He could only think of one reason why and he hoped Nabiki would not try something foolish on Ranma in her condition. He thought they were going to have another photo shoot but he should have realised that Tamaka always gave them a couple of days advanced notice.  

"Akane, Akane, where are you?" posed Ranma to the empty room. It was strange that Akane would invite her to this dark place but he could be planning something, and with that thought she ventured further into the darkness. She saw a sign in fluorescent colours directing her to the basement stairs. This covert and suspicious relaying of messages and instructions was really getting her excited. She followed the arrows until they ended at two heavy wooden doors. Ranma opened the doors and entered one of the basement rooms that were devoid of light except for one trapdoor at the top. Intrigued, Ranma entered the room. The doors slammed shut behind her, jarring her. What was that husband of hers up to? Could he have actually planned something to seduce her somehow? The thought was very endearing at the moment.

"Akane," she called.

"So foul sorcerer. I see you have come again."

"Wha…?"

Ranma peered into the darkness to glimpse the back of a dark coat. Okay, this was getting very intriguing. The voice didn't sound like Akane's but with a little help, anything was possible. Could Nabiki be helping Akane? What was he going to do next?

A small light barely more powerful that a torch beam, sputtered then shone from what should have been the roof. Fearlessly, Ranma made his way carefully to the beam while keeping her eyes focused on the cloaked figure. The figure wore a hood over the face which concealed all the features hidden therein, but Ranma could guess the height and it was about Akane's if not just a little taller.

"So you herald my call. (pause) I know it is you Saotome. You have hidden your talents behind my fiery goddess and you have spun your web of lies to cover you foetid tracks. I know who you are."

That did not sound like her Akane. Even he hated that kind of language. Ranma was quickly going through her list of suspects and only one person was dumb enough to even think of attempting something as stupid as this and in the same place no less.

"So Kuno," she spat. "What do you want?"

"Silence my spell bound goddess! How it pains me to do this to you. You hide me from your master. Surely you don't think I am ignorant of how to fetch your master. He showed me his weakness, but in my darkest hour, I did not pounce on it. I must correct that grave error."

"Huh?"

"Truly the demon shall emerge!"

Ranma put up her fists waiting for the fight to start. At least this was something akin to normalcy. Kuno challenging her was nothing to be concerned about.

"I have prepared for you Saotome and soon your reign over my loves will end." Kuno yanked hard on a single piece of thread. Ranma smirked, what was a single piece of thread going to do? Ranma trailed it with her eyes.

A single piece of thread led to many pieces of thread, which led to many switches on the side of the wall. As the thread was pulled, the switches were broken. Ranma heard the swooshing of many hidden gates behind the dark enfolds of the room.

"Okay, Kuno, what going on?" demanded Ranma.

"I'm finally going to vanquish you sorcerer and free my loves from your treachery!" shouted Kuno to the air.

Ranma heard one thing that caught her ear. It was the one thing that was bound so completely to her that she could sense when one was too close, it was also the one thing that caused her the most anxiety in the whole world.

"Meow…"

She heard one cry and the next. She knew those cries well enough to keep away from them. They were the same cries that terrorised her at night. She hated those cries. She backed away in fear from the cries only to find herself against a wall.

"Now the prowlers of the night will destroy you Saotome." Kuno raised his hand in victory. After Saotome's hold over his fiery goddess was broken, she would come willingly into his hands, or so he thought. Taking a leap that seemed far beyond his reach, Kuno grabbed the edges of the trapdoor and hoisted himself up. Having escaped himself, he did the one thing that he knew would ensure the defeat of the sorcerer's hold. He shut the trapdoor and switched off the light.

Ranma felt trapped. She could hear the cries of the cats become closer and closer. She could feel herself coming closer and closer to the edge

Ranma knew she could not give in. She could not give in to the urges. The cat, she could feel the cat coming to the forefront of her mind again. It reached out and tried to grab her. She shouted, she tried to force it back in, but it was too powerful... she could not hold it back. It was gaining, it was gaining strength, power and control, and there was nothing, nothing she could do about it. She tried desperately to hold on to her humanity, she did not want to fall into the fist again. She could not control the fist, not without Akane. She was too scared of that loss of control. She could not stop it; it was too ingrained. She could feel herself succumbing to its growing presence.

Nabiki was outside waiting and listening from her earphones. Her job was to get Ranma to the building and into the room. She actually had no idea what the blundering samurai wannabe had planned, but she was certain that it would in some way humiliate and embarrass Ranma. Taking the chance, she had grasped Kuno's proposition. She was certain she would hear the cries of Ranma’s cat side very soon. She had no real like for torturing Ranma's training like that. It seemed too easy to just throw a cat and turn her to the neko form. She preferred subtle revenge and destruction but with her brother watching over Ranma like a hawk, Nabiki was severely limited. She was waiting and waiting and time passed by. The clock ticked on and on. Kuno was waiting with her. His eyes glittered with madness but Nabiki knew that despite all the lunacy that was brought upon Ranma, nothing disastrous really ever happened. It was just the norm for strange things to happen to Ranma and Akane and this was no different.

Taking a last look at Kuno, she thought that he had finally gone a little bit too over the edge. She did not like silence. Screaming, running, pounding and the like she could muster easily enough. With Genma Saotome in the house all those became regular. Nabiki had had enough waiting. She would see what was going on down there.

Kuno moved to object, but she silenced him with the wave of her hand. She had always had that power over him. Grabbing hold of the handle, she ventured to open the trap door. The dim light penetrated the darkness but Nabiki could see nothing. She flicked the switch that would activate the torch below. There was a bare glimmer then the bulb died out. Not to be deterred from her quest, Nabiki grabbed a flashlight and invaded the darkness. She gasped at what she saw.

To three corners of the room were the cats. She could see they were visibly afraid as they were climbing over one another to get away from the last, furthest and darkest corner of the room. She turned the light to the furthest corner and there she could make out the shape of a human cat. All Nabiki heard was a hiss and all she saw was a red blur. One second later she found herself thrown across the room.

She heard a cry and saw a hand fly at Kuno. The Blue Thunder was unable to parry the lightening quick fist and found himself flying, leaving his mark in the brick wall of the hall.

Nabiki saw Ranma's eyes. She knew Ranma was too far-gone. She turned to run, but found something pressing against her side. She lost her footing and found herself falling. Her face buried in the floor, she turned around to find a human cat above her. One millisecond later and the cat was pinning her down to the floor and hissing in her face. Nabiki tried to move, but she had no reply to Ranma's aggressive approach or her strength.

Nabiki was not a person to be afraid of anything. At that moment however, she would have gladly amended the rules. The glare Ranma was giving her held a deadly glint. Though Ranma was still holding her head far above her, Nabiki could feel the hot breath against her cheek. She could see the teeth beginning to show. It was a primal fear, of cats, of animals that had been created to hunt, to kill, and to destroy the weak so that only the strong would survive. Nabiki was scared because for Ranma-neko, she was weak and the hunter had become the prey. It scared her that she had not respected a weapon such as this and as she could feel the sickly wet sensation growing closer, she could feel the hand of impending doom creeping upon her chest. She could see those intense feral eyes staring upon her with only one purpose within them: to kill.

Then she heard a voice and two words. She thought that an angel had traversed that majestic barrier to save her. And it was an angel. Akane had Ranma with him now.

He was holding her off as she licked and kissed him and as her paws roamed over his body as only a cat could. She had forgotten about Nabiki who was still frozen on the ground. With him there, Ranma-neko’s interest had totally shifted towards him and he was very glad for that because he knew if she chose to go after Nabiki, there would be no way for him to stop her.

Nabiki was forever grateful for the save. She did not know how her brother had saved her, but if he had not been there, she knew that she would not have had a chance. She watched as Ranma continued her advances on Akane. Nabiki suddenly felt very out of place and hurried away from the gym as fast as her legs could carry her.

Akane was relieved as Ranma suddenly stopped pawing over him and curled up in his open lap. She fell asleep on his lap with a final purr. He knew she would remember nothing when she awoke. She was never able to remember anything when she came out of the cat-fist. That was one of the dangers of the cat-fist itself. They had done some intensive reading on cats to be prepared for what could happen. Cats were territorial and Akane guessed that Ranma-neko had considered his sister a threat. If that had been the case, Akane was glad that he had come in time. He had seen the glare in Ranma’s eyes and he knew if had not happened to run into both his mother and then Ukyou, his sister might have been kitty chow. Ranma-neko’s sense of territory was normally suppressed but because of Ranma’s pregnancy, the cat side would make every attempt to drive off anything it considered a threat and his sister had been a threat to Ranma in the past. He was just glad he was here in time.

He gathered his sleeping wife in his hands and in the fleeting sunlight, made his way home.

At home, Akane proceeded to give Ranma a bath. The water woke Ranma up instantly and as she looked up to him he did not have to guess at what the question was.

"You went into the cat-fist again."

"Did anything happen?" asked Ranma meekly.

"Besides giving Nabiki and Kuno a scare, nah. I think he’ll be off our backs for the while."

The two waited as the furo filled with water. Both thought that they deserved a nice long soak.

*****************

Akane and Ranma were in the kitchen with Ranma attempting to show Akane how she cooked spaghetti. It was so easy for her to cook pasta but for some reason, Akane always found a way to spoil the pasta. He had burnt it, made it soppy, and added some extra exotic thing to the water instead of plain salt. It was so frustrating trying to get Akane to cook something that simple. Akane's anger at not being able to cook also did not help the situation or Ranma’s nerves. However, Ranma found that trying to relieve the stress by focusing on other things was a good way not to let Akane's incompetence get to her. Every time it got to her, she always ended up in a fight with him despite her best efforts and contrary to popular belief, she did not like heated arguments with Akane. Many a time she kicked him out of the kitchen for doing something so moronic that she thought she would never teach him again.

Smashing boulders to help decorate the koi pond was one such example of something she found to release her stress. Mr. Tendo had left the upkeep to the Dojo grounds to them and Ranma used the opportunity to find miscellaneous boulders and bring them to the Dojo. The actual intention was to cut the boulders into the right size, but somehow Ranma found that utterly destroying the boulders using the speed of the amaguriken brought her a strange comfort that could not be replicated through her katas. This time, her attempts to help Akane were being aided by the Saotome matriarch much to her relief. Nodoka Saotome was in a quandary. She was at the moment trying to find a way to help her son-in-law become a better cook. To her, it did not seem manly for Akane to want to learn to cook, but Ranma was being a good wife and trying to teach him. She was proud her daughter had asked her for help too. It was the proper thing to ask your elders for help. Elders were always wiser. This situation had her as the elder, but whatever wisdom she had gained over the years did not help her one iota with the situation at hand.

Akane plain and simply could not cook to save his life and Nodoka could think of nothing that would stem the flow of noxious food from the boy's hand. Could he have been under some curse? It was the only way someone could be that bad at cooking.

Something about her daughter was irking her a bit though. Something was different. Could Ranma have not been getting enough exercise? She seemed to have put on a couple of pounds since Nodoka had last seen her. Her face had a bit more body to it and she seemed to have gained weight. Usually the husband gained weight just after marriage, not the wife. Well, a couple of months ago that would have actually been the case here. She thought she had better warn her daughter a bit. It was not right for a woman to let her body run unchecked.

Nodoka would have thought of pregnancy, but varicose veins ran rampant in her family with the onset of pregnancy. That was how her family judged pregnancy for years and her daughter's feet were not showing any telling signs. It was disappointing for Nodoka, she wanted grandchildren and many of them, but this was only the first few months. After a couple more, Akane was bound to get it right sometime.

Taking the initiative, Nodoka beckoned her daughter towards the table where she was sitting with Kasumi. She could see the relief from Ranma's face when she was allowed a moment's break from watching over Akane's shoulder. Nabiki, who wanted to help for her own reasons, took over and kept a hawk's eye over Akane.

"Ranma, I wanted to talk to you."

Ranma warily sat down next to her mother. She was glad to have a little time to calm down.

"It seems that you have gained some extra pounds. Don't you think so Kasumi?"

Nodoka's attention shifted to Kasumi.

Ranma was sweating. She knew what this could lead to and she wanted to wait until the last possible moment before she told her mother about the pregnancy. She hated being pampered and she knew she could not bear more than a couple of weeks at most of it before she exploded in someone's face, literally. Desperately, she was trying to think of something for Kasumi to say. Her mother could not see her and Ranma easily could have slipped some excuse. Unfortunately, Ranma could not think of any and all she could offer Kasumi was an anxious pleading gaze that begged for help of any kind.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about Auntie Saotome. Ranma just gets a little bloated when it's that time of the month," replied Kasumi with a serene smile that could get even the devil into heaven. "Isn't that right Ranma?"

Ranma nodded.

"Oh, I didn't know that!" exclaimed a thoughtful Nodoka who unexpectedly rushed up to the stove as she saw Akane reach for something that should not belong in food.

Ranma released the breath she did not know she had been holding and mouthed her thanks to Kasumi. Bloated! She was past bloated, but her large oversized androgynous clothes gave her enough room to hide any of the visible indications of pregnancy. No one at school had any idea as yet. When changing in the locker rooms, she had made it a habit to be the last or the first to change to please the other girls and to protect herself from suspicion. Akane did much of the same with the boys and was learning a great deal about how shameless the boys in the shower were.

Ranma saw her mother try to extinguish the flames with an extinguisher. She did not know how Akane messed up this time and on reflection, she did not want to know. Maybe she should leave the lessons to Kasumi. After all, this had previously been her department.

Ranma had had chats with Kasumi and was relieved that the older girl did not want to pamper her in any way. Ranma knew she still showed a bit too much physical dexterity to be thought of as being hindered in any way. That translated to Kasumi to mean that everything was fine and dandy, and Ranma did not need help, as yet. Kasumi always said that she did not need help "as yet". That did not give Ranma any great reassurance in her secret being kept until she wanted to have it known: possibly in the seventh month if she could hold out that long. The only other non-family people who knew were Dr. Tofu for obvious reasons and Ukyou.

Glancing upwards, Ranma saw the wordless pleads from Nabiki for some help. At the moment, Ranma didn't want to deal with the chaos in the kitchen and grabbing a soda, exited in the direction of the Dojo to pulverise some more unfortunate piles of rock.

Her secret had been saved, for now.

*****************

One would normally not find it very strange to find both a husband and a wife in the kitchen mashing potatoes, but when the husband was Akane Tendo, most people would have shuddered at the thought. His wife however, was not of the same opinion. Although she would not trust her husband to make an edible dish by himself, she did trust him to follow orders in the kitchen when she gave them. It also helped that at the moment, his hands were wrapped around her body and were holding a wooden implement to mash the potatoes. There was no way he could destroy the dish from his position and truth be told, both liked the particular position they were in. Unfortunately, the potatoes were all mashed. Ranma slipped away from her husband's arms, covered the potatoes with a cheese mix and put them to bake. That finished, she took off the apron tossed in into her husband's face and raced to the Dojo. She waited for him there. He should have known better than to wait in the kitchen. He knew that after they finished in the kitchen it was time for practice. Now what exercises should she have him do?

Ranma and Akane were enjoying a leisurely workout- Ranma felt to take it easy on him today- when someone entered through the wall. Through the gaping hole, one could make out that it was a woman. A strong and courageous woman: one that had been driven to the edge. In her eyes burned an inferno of hate, hate for one person in the room: a person who had taken away what was rightfully hers. She was tired of trying to take what was hers without force, this time she would use force. Ranma was hers; Ranma was the greatest warrior she had ever come across. Mousse was no comparison. He was some silly boy from the village who, after all those years, could not get it into his mind that she did not love him. While his antics were always amusing, she was tired of relentless pursuit. Sometimes she had wished that he would just challenge her so that she would be able to trounce him. It least that way she would have some respect for his attempts, but he never challenged her like a real man would. Ranma was different though. Ranma was a warrior and was the ideal mate in her mind. He had defeated her, twice! She had seen him go up against warriors she could not imagine trying to fight, though she would. To top that off, he had defeated them. Defeated them all. There was no way she would give up Ranma without a fight.

Her great grandmother had told her that she shouldn't use certain means of attaining Ranma. Shampoo had wanted to really seduce Ranma. She could have done it easily enough. She could have come up with a foolproof plan that would have ended up with Ranma around her finger. Her great grandmother wanted to give Ranma and the Tendo's a sporting chance. It was the honourable thing to do before Ranma was finally theirs. Shampoo's patience had worn thin though and now she would take her husband back home. The elders would praise her initiative and the other Amazons would be jealous of her prize. This was a fight she would win, or, she would die in the attempt. She would get her husband.

Akane and Ranma knew who it was, but they were more surprised that she was here. She was dressed in her normal clothes but this time she wore a sword attached to her dress and a bright red ribbon across her chest. She was ready for war.

"What do you want Shampoo?" demanded Ranma.

"Shampoo fight boy who take Ranma away!"

Akane was about to answer but a resounding no filled the air.

"There’s no way I’m letting Akane fight you," replied Ranma.

"Very well, Shampoo fight you then. Shampoo fight then cure husband."

"Cure!" exclaimed Akane.

"Shampoo find cure for what pervert boy do to Ranma. Shampoo always know Akane pervert, never know Akane know magic too."

"Shampoo stop this!" shouted Ranma. "Akane did not do anything. My curse was Happosai’s fault."

"Shampoo see magic strong. Not know why great grandmother not show Shampoo this magic. Shampoo free Ranma then go back China yes."

"There’s no way I’m letting you take Ranma!" shouted Akane.

"We see. Catch!"

"No Akane don’t!" shouted Ranma as she dashed in front of Akane and tried to catch the small bag. She was too late. Akane was not. Akane dodged the bag in time. It impacted against the wall of the Dojo and exploded. A fine dust filled the air, encompassing the Dojo. Ranma saw it coming towards her and held her breath. She knew Akane had succumbed. She had not taught him how to handle situations like these. Her care for Akane had lost her some precious milliseconds. Time enough for Shampoo to sneak up on Ranma and land a blow. A gentle blow whose only purpose was to force the air out of Ranma’s lungs. The job completed by the fine powder, Ranma was helped to the floor by gravity. She did not stay there for long however. In five minutes, all traces that someone had visited had disappeared, except for a handsome boy trapped in a deep sleep.

Later…

 Kasumi gently prodded her younger brother awake.

"Akane, get up. Time for dinner."

Akane groggily stumbled out of sleep. He was feeling very refreshed. He only wished he could have slept some more.

"Akane do you know where Ranma is?"

"Ran who?"

***************

"Uhh… where am I?"

"You’re awake!" exclaimed Shampoo. "Shampoo glad husband awake."

"Husband?" Ranma shook his head trying to unclog the drainpipe that kept him still woozy. His mind was still clouded a bit, but his body felt strangely refreshed. Ranma opened his eyes only to find a purple haired girl leaning over him. Memories of the same purple haired girl assaulted his mind and instinctively Ranma did what he was taught.

"Ahhh…" shouted Ranma as he ran with all his might into the deep forests around him. Behind he could hear the girl chasing him. It was that damned Amazon chick again. He was sorry for eating the prize, why couldn’t she just leave him alone! He could still hear her thrashing along behind him, but he still had one thing up his sleeve.

"Saotome Secret Technique!" he shouted, and after that Shampoo found no trace of Ranma. Dejected, Shampoo sat on a nearby log. Why had Ranma run away? After a couple of minutes, Shampoo had to stop herself from bashing her head with her bonbori. How could she have been so stupid? She had blocked Ranma’s memories of the Tendos but in doing so, she had also blocked the memories of the Kiss of Marriage and everything else that had happened since all the adventures that happened to Ranma only occurred after his stay with the Tendos. Wracking her mind, Shampoo thought of a way to find her husband and explain to him her change of heart. Now, where would he go? The lightbulbs starting glowing in her mind. What was the thing Ranma hated more than anything else before he came to Nerima and what was the subject of most of his adventures: the curse. Ranma would be headed to Jusenkyou. He was trapped in his cursed body also. That was more than enough motive for him to return to the cursed springs. Shampoo smiled. She would still catch her husband and this time; she had taken care of the pervert girl called Akane. This time, Ranma would be hers.

Shampoo had not wasted her time after she had seen Ranma kiss the boy outside the Nekohanten. She knew the boy had woven some spell over Ranma. She knew how much being a man meant to Ranma and how far he would go to be a whole man again. She had scrimmaged about in her great grandmother’s books looking for potions they might have overlooked that could have been used on Ranma. She saw none. That’s when the image hit her and after some sleuthing, she had found out that the boy was actually Akane. She had never thought of Akane as a magic user. The little minx had fooled her thoroughly. Shampoo thought that the girl had no hope when it came to the martial arts and the magical arts, but the girl had shown her up. Indeed, the magic the perverted Tendo had used was very strong if it was able to convince Ranma that he was a real girl.

Shampoo had then come upon a plan of capturing Ranma. She had spent many days trying to perfect the Xia Fang Gao using Mousse as her guinea pig. He was most happy to be of assistance to her. Of course, she could not permanently keep him in that state since anytime she trashed him as any proper amazon woman would he seemed to remember her again. The few minutes of peace she got were invaluable however. That was the main flaw of the technique. Sufficient exposure to the object or objects to be forgotten would cause the memories to resurface. No exposure: no memories. She had succeeded. All she had to do was get on the good side of her husband, then she would be able to win him. She knew that the promises his father had made were the only things keeping Ranma in Nerima. With no memory of them, Ranma would willingly stay in the village with her and knowing how dedicated he was to the Art, she knew he would readily accept when he heard what great grandmother could teach him.

Smiling, Shampoo quickened her pace. Ranma might be able to beat her to the ocean, but she would beat him in China and await his arrival at the springs.

**************

Unlike Shampoo, Ranma Saotome was not running. He was not even walking. He was sitting on a fallen tree trying to boil some water and trying to sort out his head. He was still a bit mentally confused so he decided to list what had happened or what was missing.

1. He had been cursed

2. He was being chased by that Amazon girl.

3. He was currently a girl.

4. His girl side had gained some height and other assets.

5. His father was missing

6. He was supposed to go somewhere to meet someone in Japan with his father.

7. It was getting dark.

8. He was wearing a bra.

Satisfied with the list, Ranma arranged his priorities. He ripped off the bra and threw it into the brush. Yeeesh…a bra, on him. The thought was revolting.

He replayed the list again. He would change into a man again, bunk down for the night, go to China and find his cure and then find his father, wherever he was. The old man was constantly getting into trouble. Ranma remembered something about Nerima in Tokyo. He knew his father would get himself into trouble. It was only a matter of time before he found his father. Ranma didn’t much care about the change in his girl side; after all he would be rid of the curse in a short while.

The pot began to boil and Ranma took it off the fire to cool. He waited and when he thought it cool enough, he tested it with his fingers. Satisfied, he stripped and doused himself with the warm water. That felt good!

Something was different though. Ranma looked down and gasped. He still had breasts. He tested the water with his hands. It was hot. Had the magic become permanent? Ranma shuddered then started to feel a bit panicky. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. He had to get back to those springs, but a good night’s sleep would do him a world of good. The springs weren’t going anywhere and his baka father wasn’t around so finding the cure should be no trouble. He was still feeling a bit disoriented with his body and it seemed like his chest had developed a paunch like his father's. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him again and blamed it on something his old man had given him to eat before he disappeared. He donned his clothing again and spied a high branch that should comfortably hold his weight. A couple of leaps, and Ranma was ready for the night.

****************

A hastily convened council was almost to the point of declaring war. The hostile delegates were Nodoka Saotome, Ukyou Kuonji, Nabiki Tendo and Soun Tendo, the court jester/panda was Genma Saotome, the peacekeeper was Kasumi Saotome, the medical officer, who was currently destroying a poor lamp to the amusement of the peacekeeper, was Ono Tofu, the members of the opposing faction were Cologne and Mousse and the focus of the meeting was one half of a happily married couple who was clueless to the existence of his better half.

"So what’s this about?" asked Cologne. After all, she had a business to run and with her female help on a training trip, she would have to work Mousse hard.

"That’s what we wanted to ask you?" glared Nodoka.

"Hmm…?" Cologne was genuinely surprised at the question.

"What have you done with Ran-chan?" shouted Ukyou angrily, getting straight to the point.

"Ranma? She isn’t here?"

"No," replied Nabiki tactfully, "We think she was kidnapped and we think we know who did it. Akane, where’s Ranma?"

Akane looked visibly upset.

"Would you stop asking me about that Ra-person. I already told you I don’t know anyone by that name."

"Xia Fang Gao…" muttered Cologne. She never thought Shampoo would have stooped that low. She did not have the proper treatment ready.

"Shampoo!" exclaimed Mousse

(whap)

"Be quiet boy," cackled Cologne. "So Shampoo has taken Ranma. This is not good. I must get back to the village quickly." She hopped away on her cane and exited before the others could react, leaving Mousse behind. After all he was just a man.

Mousse was quickly cornered by Genma, Soun and Ukyou. In a brief struggle, the hidden weapons specialist was unable to launch any of his projectiles due to sheer surprise and numbers and was thus bound tightly. He could not move an inch. If he could have moved even a little bit, Ukyou as well as the others knew that he might be able to reach one of his weapons to free himself.

"Where should we go now?" asked Nokoka dejectedly.

Nabiki popped up an answer: the only logical one from her point of view.

"Shampoo will want to carry back Ranma to China. All we have to do is intercept her and put Ranma and Akane together. The last time, Ranma was able to break the technique by insulting Akane. This time, I think she will be able to break the technique more easily considering the amount of time these two have spent with each other for the last couple of months."

"So how do we find Shampoo?" asked Ukyou.

"You mean how do I find Shampoo," corrected Nabiki. "All I have to do is find out if any packages with a cat are being carried across to China or if any purple-haired women have been seen travelling and we will have her. Now come on, we all have to get to China to find Ranma."

Nabiki pulled out a wad of tickets from her pockets and handed them to those around her.

"Nabiki where did you get these?" asked Nodoka.

"I’ve been planning on a trip to Jusenkyou ever since Akane came back, just to see if I could reverse the curse and get things back to how they were around here."

She handed one to each person around the table. Truth be told, she had conned some agency man into giving her the tickets a year before, after she had traded in Ryouga’s first class ticket to China for some coach tickets. She couldn’t remember how she had got them from him. She still couldn’t believe that he didn’t know that they were valid for up to one year, but that fact did not hound her conscience; he would have never found the airport anyway.

There were six people on the next plane to China. Nodoka and Ukyou sat next to each other. Soun and Genma were currently playing a game of shogi as if that was a surprise. Nabiki was left sitting next to her dear brother. Strangely enough, Soun had left Kasumi in the not so capable hands of Dr. Tofu who promised to look in on her. The others wondered how badly he would wreak the Tendo household with his visits.

Nabiki was not one to sit idly by and watch the world go round. She had admitted to herself that what she had almost allowed to happen to Ranma had been dangerous and wrong, but she did not tell anyone this. The only one who possibly realised that she had been sorry was Ranma. Nabiki had shown a little bit of humility when she found Ranma alone shortly after the incident and bowed to the girl. Nabiki had been panicking at this point because Ranma could at that time have ordered her to do almost anything she pleased and Nabiki would have to oblige. However, Ranma had truly surprised her when all she did was smile and leave the room without demanding anything. That had given Nabiki a new-found respect for her sister-in-law and Nabiki found herself in a position that was totally alien to her. She was in debt. Now was the time to repay that debt.

She had been studying Akane since they had left the house and now and again, Akane would mutter something completely stupid. At times, he seemed to be on a whole different plane of thought. Nabiki thought it was time to test her theory on what was really going on in Akane’s mind.

"So Akane, what’s it feel like being a boy?" asked Nabiki.

"It’s different. I…I can’t really explain it," Akane replied.

"So do you know why you are a boy?"

"Of course I know that!" replied a flustered Akane. "It’s because of that stupid spirit who cursed me…Ouch! Who did that?" In the mind’s eye, facts usually transformed themselves to become what the person saw as the most logical answer to a question whose answer eluded them or in this case, were blocked.

Mai was not amused at the answer and neither was Nabiki. Mai was slightly more than furious. After all she had done, someone had dared to try to separate her work. Why did these things only happen when she left those two alone! Mai tried her hand at loosening some of the ties in Akane’s mind but her success was less than encouraging. It would take time, lots of time. All she could do was give Akane some subconscious suggestions, what Akane derived from those suggestions was up to him.

"Oh, and what spirit was that?" asked Nabiki.

"Um the same one who hit that other girl with the water…"

Finally after all those question in the Dojo, a breakthrough!

"And can you describe this other girl?" asked Nabiki excitedly.

"That’s what I’ve been trying to do all night, but all I can see is a red blur."

"Try harder!" encouraged Nabiki.

"What do you think I’ve been doing all this time!" exclaimed Akane.

Nabiki drummed her fingers fiercely against the handle of the plane seat, thinking. That approach was going to be a bust. She could see that clearly. There had to be another way…then she saw it.

"Hey Akane, what’s that on your finger?"

"Just my wedding ring," he replied nonchalantly. Then it hit him, hard. "My wedding ring…" he muttered.

"Yes, yes, and to whom are you married?" asked Nabiki tauntingly.

"Um..."

Akane focused. He remembered a shrine. He remembered holding onto someone awkwardly at the shrine. He remembered staring into blue eyes and trying to hold the woman he was going to be married to. He remembered that she kept helping him walk along the path. He remembered a lot of things about that day. He focused on her, focused past those deep blue eyes that stole his attention. He tried to see past those beautiful, captivating eyes. He tried to see. He could feel the perspiration beginning to bead down his forehead. He could not get past the block though. All he could envision were those eyes and a red blur to their sides. He tried to make out a distinguishing feature of any kind, but all he could see were the eyes and a red blur.

"Damn," he muttered.

Nabiki reclined back in her chair. This was not going to be easy. The last time, it had taken all of Ranma's tauntings to bring back Akane's memories. Ranma was not here to do that. They had to find another way, and they had to find Ranma.

Nabiki needed to rest before they landed. She needed to plan.

*********

At the airport a travel guide met Nabiki with their transportation. There was no way she was coming to China without some sort of vehicle. She scoured around the airport until she found what she was looking for. She paid for the map and searched the contents, eventually she found what she was looking for. Amazon territory: Trespass and Die was marked in red ink on a part of the map. Nabiki smirked, with their laws, it should be marry or die. She bundled all the travellers into the jeep.

Nabiki took the wheel easy enough and after about an hour, they were well on their way to the Amazon village. She hoped by the time they reached there, she would have a plan to get Ranma and the rest of them out of this situation, but first, she had to find a way to bring her brother back to reality. She smirked as Genma and father tried to beat the sense into Akane and found themselves smashed into the floor of the vehicle via a supercharged mallet. Akane still refused to give either parent any respect and was getting better with Ranma's training, however limited it was. The fathers also could not stop thinking of Akane as a girl, albeit a girl turned boy. Uncle Saotome had wanted to start back with his training sessions with Ranma, but she had pointedly turned him down. The katana had almost spliced the tip of the panda's nose that morning when he tried to punt her out of bed. According to Ranma he had been lucky that they hadn't played any midnight games that night and were relatively dressed. If they had, she would have been royally pissed at his intrusion into their room and the unspoken threat that was voiced in her eyes had even Nabiki cringing. After that close call, Genma had to ask his daughter when she wanted to spar if he wanted to fight. Those were Nodoka's orders. Nabiki wondered if the van had good-enough plumbing, she could see the water collecting from her father’s tears.

It was strange that Nodoka and Ukyou were silent. Nodoka did not even bother to hold back Genma. Could those two have planned something? Nabiki put that thought to the back of her mind. Planning had always been her department. It could be that the two had their minds concentrated on other things, but she was not interested. She did not think that their ideas would help her very much. She did not plan on using violence as her main attack.

After almost two days of non-stop road travel, the weary travellers came upon a sign staked in the ground. They had found the Amazon village.

As they approached the village, Nabiki was relieved that the others started to form a barrier around her. She gave her thanks with her eyes. She was by no means a martial artist in any sense or form and although she would never admit it, she was scared of the Amazons. She saw what Cologne was able to teach Ranma. What else could the old bat be hiding in the village she was from? Nerima was home territory and Nabiki could do all she wanted there. China was a foreign country. They could disappear here and no one would be the wiser. The cards for this game were very different and Nabiki found herself wanting a new hand to play. She had no aces and trump cards. All she had were a couple of wild cards at best and in the game she was playing, wild cards weren’t as great an advantage as a sure trump. This was going to be a hard fight.

Up ahead, they saw a small hut guarded by two girls of possibly no more than fourteen years. This was it, the checkpoint before the village. If they could get around this, she had a slim chance of bargaining her way through. If they had to fight through, her skills would automatically turn useless, unless a rare opportunity reared its head. But, she was Nabiki, and the cards usually fell exactly were she wanted them to. She crossed her fingers.

*************

Shampoo was glad to be back home. She had exchanged pleasantries with the guards at the gate. Strangely enough, they did not harass her about her hunt for Ranma. That had been the talk the last time she was home; this time, they were unnervingly silent.

Shampoo knew that that was not what was actually bothering her. She was beginning to have second thoughts about what she had done. Ranma was now back to a mental picture just before he returned to Japan. Shampoo’s problem was the return of those memories after that time. The technique she had used, although improved, was not perfect. That was the problem with the technique. It could never be perfect. All human memories were linked with other esoteric memories when they are stored. Thus, anything could trigger the release of those memories from their bondage. Ranma had proven that clearly enough in the past. Shampoo knew the chances of Akane remembering Ranma without the presence of Ranma were slim to nothing. Of Ranma remembering however was a different story. Her success depending on if she could replace all of Ranma's previous memories with better ones that included her of course. She would have to do that quickly. She had locked away a lot of what Ranma had gone though after the curse and on reflection, Shampoo knew that a lot that happened afterwards was not pleasant to remember. She hoped Ranma would remain in his state because if the memories started to return, she was not too sure how he would handle some of the adventures he had been though over the time she had known him. She also hoped that he would not remember what she had done to him and Akane. The chances of Ranma regaining his memories were not that remote. Blocking a whole chunk of a person's life meant that almost anything could jog their memory. She had done a good job on Ranma, but the longer he was away from her, the easier it would be for him to remember. She had to catch him the next time she saw him.

She smirked when she thought of Akane. Shampoo liked a challenge so she did not wipe out all of the pervert girl's memories. She left her with barely an image of Ranma's girl side. Enough to torture the girl when she tried to remember but nothing definitive that she would be able to picture Ranma. Shampoo did not have long to walk before she was back in her old house with her old stuff that she had left. In her excitement to be back she had rushed into the house. She vaguely registered a presence behind her before her eyes became heavy.

************** 

Ranma awoke to a tingling sensation and a tickling of his throat. Some part of his mind told him the worst was over a couple of weeks ago and another part was trying to ignore that statement. He was vaguely remembering times past when he would get up in the morning feeling woozy and disoriented. He wondered for a minute what would make him feel that way. He shook his head trying to clear it and subconsciously his hand fell to his abdominal area. He could feel the distension.

He had been putting off the thought for a day or two but he knew he would have to face up to it sooner or later and it seemed that now was the best time than any other. He knew what was going on. He was not dumb and narrow-minded as his father thought. He had seen during his training many things that people his age had never fully experienced. He had been through some things that some people might never experience. Passing through many different villages, Dojos and shrines had taught him a lot about the cycle of life and Ranma knew he had to admit something he would have never had had to admit to himself before.

His abdomen was distended but not from any disease or malady, actually it was a malady in his eyes. His eyes that were not his eyes: his body that was not his body. Why did these things always happen to him? Sure, his dad was a panda but why did he have to be a…a girl. Of all the springs and curses, he had to be a girl. He, Ranma Saotome, who had been raised to be a man amongst men was now the furthest thing from that ideal. He was in a woman's body, and he was pre...pregnant!

The last part was actually shouted into the forests.

There, he had actually said it. He, Ranma Saotome was pregnant. He somehow felt that some great weight had been lifted off his shoulders but that did not make him feel a whole lot better. It did not help him at all. Was this the reason why his father had deserted him? His father was a coward and he of all people knew that. The only reason he still followed his old man was despite all the idiotic plans his father had the training he got was pretty decent. Besides, whom else could he trust to teach him the Art? If anything, his father was dedicated to his tutelage. His father was gone now, he was sure of that at least. He sighed. So he was pregnant. A thought cropped up in his mind. To become pregnant meant that he had to…to do that with a…a man. Urgh…that was as revolting a thought as he could possibly think of. How could he do that that….perverted thing. He was a man for kami's sake. Ranma tried, actually tried to remember if he had done anything like that with a man. Nothing came to light!

Ranma knew he was starting to panic a bit so he closed his eyes and concentrated. He tried to slow his breathing and his heart rate. It worked, a bit. He tried to calm himself, enough that he could think. Then, a certain thought crept into his mind again. He had only been cursed less than a month ago. He had only been a girl for a month! That gave him enough of a ray of hope.

One month was not enough to get him looking as advanced as he was. Something else had to have happened to him. Something else had to have been going on. Ranma did not believe he was a hentai of any sort so he was perpetually relieved to have a different area on which to focus his thoughts. What could have happened to him though? What could have happened to him in a little more than a month?

Then it hit him! How could he have not thought of it earlier? It was the curse; it had to be. It was the only thing that made any sense. It was the curse that had him like this. It was the only way! Spring of Drowned girl bah! It must have been Spring of Drowned Expecting Girl. It was the only thing that explained it all. He hadn't done any of those hentai things though. He was relieved. His honour was intact. At least he had not harmed the Saotome name. Perhaps after he had the child, the curse might go away. It was a long shot, but it was worth it. It was the only hope he had in reality. He had always been an optimist and he would not change.

He had to have the child then he would be rid of the curse. There was no way he was going to get rid of the child. He did not know what it would be like having to take care of a child but perhaps it was better than being cursed to be a girl. He had to do something else though. He had to go back and confront the guide to satisfy his own conscience. It would mean going back near to that Amazon village, but he needed to satisfy his curiosity also. He wondered what the future had in store for his father.

A couple of days later, Ranma found himself near the shoreline. However, Ranma Saotome was not Genma Saotome and thus had no intention on swimming to China. It was not as if he couldn't do it, it was why should he do it? What purpose did it serve him? He had done it before so why should he care to do it again? He found his way to a fishing village that was the closest to the mainland

Staying just like he was and turning on some cuteness, he was amazed at how easily he could do that, he was able to find out from the wharf which ships were going where. He was elated to find out that one of the vessels was indeed going to China. Ranma had a problem however, he had no money. There were ways and means around that though.

He camped the night out awaiting his ride. Sure enough, just before daybreak, Ranma awoke. Stealthily, he crept towards the boat that was to depart for China. The boat was very old and probably had been passed on from one generation to the next. He did not spend much time observing the boat however. Grabbing two hooks that were usually used for the bait lines, he securely bit them into the flesh of the wood. After testing that they were secure, he stripped a piece of cloth and formed a lasso between the strips. He tied the strips together onto the hooks and hung himself from them with only his arms and head above the water. His arms hung tightly in the fabric and kept him above water. The sun was now peeping over the horizon when the boat began to leave. Just as Ranma had planned, he was where the bow of the boat broke against the ocean. It allowed him to see what was ahead without being seen by the crew of the boat or anyone who was not looking for him. It was an ideal position to stow away if you did not want to swim, but still enjoyed a nice soak in the cool ocean. The trip would not take that long. The boat was not scheduled to reach China, but it would reach close enough for Ranma to take a quick swim to the mainland.

Ranma had a lot of time to think while he trekked though the Chinese wilderness. He wanted to adhere to the trails but he did not want to be spotted by the amazon again. She had a knack for popping up at the most inopportune times. He also did not want anyone trying to follow him. He stuck to the woods at the side of the road and kept himself hidden from those who passed by.

He was amazed at how fast and agile he had been in this body, even with the pregnancy. He probably should still be learning to adjust to it, but he was easily bounding leaps as he had been before. He even felt stronger and when he had time to test his strength, he did find himself stronger and faster too. He could leap higher as well. Strangely enough, he sort of had a feeling at the back of his mind reminding him of moves he had not learned before but he was sure he had encountered already. Something came back about exploding rocks and bricks, but everyone knew that was impossible. No one could make bricks explode, split in half yes, but not explode. He even saw himself catching rice with his hands and not letting a grain fall. That too was near impossible. The speed needed for that feat was blinding. The effects of the curse might be making him a bit more delirious. All the better for him to get to the springs. He was running through the forest when he heard something. He turned around to face a person who had actually managed to creep up on him. He did not register the face in his memories. The other did and shouted much to his surprise:

"Ranma!!"

Nabiki Tendo was intrigued by her situation. Guards meeting them at the entrance she expected. An escort to the village she did not. All the guards said were, "You are expected." Then they turned and the others followed. It was a brisk trek to the village. People kept looking at them but not long enough to be thought of as staring. Nabiki knew they wanted to know why they were here. But questions can be quelled by fear. Fear of what was the question in her mind.

Nabiki complied with the demands of the guards as they were led single file though the village and into a house near the centre of the village that was almost the largest house in the village.

"You are to be the guests of elder Cologne," spoke one of the guards.

Walking into the room, the guards sat down near to the door. The seats in the house were not plentiful and Nabiki realised that there were just enough to seat everyone. The atmosphere was heavy with tension and Nabiki was not ready to break it just yet. She could see that the guards were not accustomed to their situation and were nervous, even though they tried to act fearless. She saw the same thing when one of Ranma's challengers found her a bit too much to handle.

Nabiki studied them carefully. Their action might cause them to release some little hint that might give her an edge in the coming battle. For it was a battle that was coming upon them. The tension remained high, and Nabiki lived off of it.

****************

Shampoo shook her head to clear away the thick cobwebs. Her shoulders were paining her and when she flexed them she knew why. They were bound on a stake and she was being carried through the centre of the village. This type of punishment was only decreed for some of the worst crimes. Shampoo knew of no crimes she had committed that could be that heinous.

She peered up to the girls that were carrying her. Women she had defeated on the road to becoming champion, but their gaze held no clues as to what was going on. Shampoo’s hopes slumped down in defeat. She was being taken to the judging chair.

That was reserved for crimes against women of the village. Shampoo knew she had done no crime, but she was not aware of the village politics at the time. She could not remember doing anything wrong.

That chair symbolised a lot in the history of the Amazons and judgement could be as lenient as going through the Seven trials of Womanhood or as harsh as death. She should not be here. She had done nothing. In a different place or in younger days, Shampoo might have struggled, but struggling was done by only the weak and only the best warriors faced their judgement head on. To struggle would mean immediate expulsion from the tribe. They would no longer regard her as a warrior but as a mongrel and she would be treated less than the weakest man. No. She would not struggle. She would face those who would have this done against her. Half dragged, half carried, she was brought inside a large thatched house where the elders sat. She had been privileged enough to sit through some of those meetings and watched as her grandmother was able to control the tide of the discussion with her precisely timed objections and references. She hoped she could be as good a politician as her grandmother when the time came. When the bonds were removed from her hands and neck, Shampoo craned her head and looked up. She almost fell down in surprise when she saw her grandmother up there with the others. Wasn't she supposed to be in Japan with Mousse? What was she doing here?

The hall was extremely quiet. Even the small bugs that were always around refused to fly and disturb the silence. Shampoo could see that all the elders were there from Kho Sha to Dai Soa. All twelve elders in full council: Shampoo felt uncannily afraid. This was the first time she had even been on the other side of the counter and having her future rest on twelve of the wisest and most powerful women in the tribe did not seem to quench her nervousness.

"Stand Shampoo," ordered Tzu Upe. Shampoo had not realised that she had been sitting in a chair.

"The council has been informed of your blatant attempt to endanger the life of an unborn one."

Shampoo's face could not mask her bewilderment. She had done nothing of the sort. She had not harmed any warriors in a long time and everyone knew that those special warriors were not allowed to take part in harsh combat.

"…hmm…from your reaction I see that Elder Kho Lon has been correct in her assumption that you did not know of your crime. However negligence is no excuse. The council has decided that in reparation for you unbecoming acts against Ranma Saotome who has chosen the path of a woman and is with child, you will be the caretaker of the firstborn of Ranma until the child has reached the age of initiation."

Ranma…Ranma was a woman. Ranma chose to be a woman. A Woman! And Ranma was pregnant! Shampoo stayed there with a shocked look on her face. The ancient staff was slammed against the gong proclaiming the judgement. Shampoo still had not moved. Understanding, Kho Lon, went to her great granddaughter and put her mind to sleep. Beckoning one of the guards, she gave orders, which were obeyed. Kho Lon hopped off to her home, followed by her slumbering great granddaughter.  

Nabiki heard movement coming from outside. They had been waiting for almost an hour and the tension was high in the room. Everyone was fidgeting, everyone except herself. She knew what to do in situations like these. Keep calm. And keep everyone else calm.

Nabiki was as surprised as the rest of them when Cologne hopped into the room followed by another girl carrying Shampoo. Everyone, including Akane, jumped to attack the old woman who simply gave them a hard stare then went into action. If they thought Ranma was quick, Cologne was quicker. She dodged the attempts of those around her to capture her and all Nabiki saw was the flash of Cologne’s hands and her brother crumbling to the ground

No one moved, or breathed as Akane slowly shook his head his head and started to rise. Evidently, his hair was slightly damp as one or two drops of water dripped off his shining hair. All attention was focused on Akane. Akane got up, opened his eyes, looked around, and asked one simple question.

"Where's Ranma?"

*****************

"Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"You can't remember?"

"Nope…"

"Do you remember Junior High?"

"A lot happened during Junior High."

"Do you remember lunch time and the boy you always used to fight for lunch?"

"Do you remember the boy you always led home?" pressed Ryouga.

Ranma searched his memories and came up with a boy with fangs that looked a lot like…

"Wait, you do look familiar…from along time ago…(pause) Ryouga! That's it! Hey what's up Ryouga!"

Ryouga stepped back cautiously. Ranma might be tricking him. Why? He did not know. The last time he saw Ranma however, he had been afraid of her. Her casualness could be masking something hidden…some unknown agenda.

"Hey sorry about the fight. Pops went and carried me off on the third day."

"Fight, what fight?"

"Duh, the fight in your back yard. What do you have, pig on the brain?"

Pig on the brain? When did he ever hear something like that? He wondered where he had got that expression.

Ryouga cautiously stepped towards Ranma.

"You don't remember do you?"

"Remember, remember what?"

"Don't you remember Akane, the Tendo's, our fights?"

"Sure I remember the fights, but I don’t remember anyone named Akane…"

Akane, the name sounded familiar. But why? He didn't know any Akane. Why was he getting this warm feeling whenever he thought about the name. Something was coming into his mind. It was an image. A blurred image of someone. He could not make out the details of the person. He tried. He tried really hard to concentrate on the image, but it would not clear for him. Dejected, he gave up the attempt.

"You don’t remember your own husband!"

"Wha…?"

What in blazes was Ryouga taking about? Husband! He had no husband. He was a man. Maybe a girl now, but that was only because of the curse. Deep inside, he knew he was a man.

"You take that back! I ain't got no husband!"

"Yes you do," countered Ryouga.

Ryouga saw that Ranma was losing her patience. He knew something was wrong. He had learned a lot about Ranma and Akane's relationship when he dropped in by mistake at Ucchan's. Why was Ranma acting like this? Had she broken up with Akane?

Ryouga rummaged through his backpack hastily and found what he was looking for. Ranma had actually given him a copy. Well, given wasn't precisely the word. Stuffed in the face was more like it. He still had it though. He had circled Akane's face a long time ago, but everyone was there, including Ranma. He threw the picture at Ranma who snatched it from the air.

"That's Akane there."

Ranma gazed at the picture. Who were these people? Who were these….His eyes fell upon a girl with short hair to the extreme left of the picture. She was…she was…she was someone he knew. Someone he had spent a lot of time with. She was his…no! She couldn't be…but she was indeed. She was him. She was him! Him! Him! She knew who he was now. She no he no…he felt a pain starting at the back of her head. It was a slight throbbing, but it was becoming louder and louder. He tried to stop it. Tried to stop the throbbing. Tried to stop it from coming back. Tried to stop the tide. But he couldn't he couldn't. She, he was feeling. She, he…which one…which was….the world…it was getting darker. Who was…he…she…they….yes, they…

*****************

 Ryouga watched over the redhead as she slept soundly on the forest floor. He had been speaking to her until she got this strange puzzled look on her face. He had relaxed, too much. He saw her feet buckle in the corner of his eyes and if he had been milliseconds late in his catch, she would have hit the ground, hard. Luckily he had caught her just before she had touched the ground. Around them at the time was barren rock, so he walked with her for what seemed a little distance until he found a suitable place to lay her down. He did not have to look very hard to realise she was pregnant and very far into the pregnancy also. He had known her, fought her too long not to notice something as obvious as that. He laid her down on some dried brush with one of his sleeping mats placed over it. She was dreaming now. He could tell from the look on her face. The smile told him that the dreams were happy ones.

Ryouga turned back to the fire he had made. She had been asleep for a long time. The sun had already dipped down under the horizon leaving the sky dotted with sparkling stars. Normally he would have been asleep by now. He just wasn't sleepy. No, that wasn't it. He just wanted to make sure Ranma was all right. She was his enemy, had always been his nemesis, but she was oddly enough, his best friend. Best friend. He had had a lot of time to think and he realised how stupid he had been, realised how he almost lost one the best friends he had even had because of some stupid feud…no it was never that…it was because he…she had left him. Alone, all alone with his friend gone. Ryouga knew he could not speak freely to Akane or any of the girls. Mousse and Kuno weren't worth talking to. But Ranma, Ranma was always thinking and on the move. That's why he always followed Ranma. On his own, adventure came sporadically, but with Ranma, they were commonplace.

"Mmmm…" came a murmur behind him. He knew that meant that Ranma was waking up.

Ranma awoke with a slight headache and a spinning head. Using a technique she had come to rely on, she tucked her knees in and began to meditate. Thank goodness for Dr. Tofu. Five minutes later, Ranma felt refreshed and all traces of her headache had disappeared. It had been a vital technique on her most painful days. Her memories had returned to her again. She remembered. She remembered everything that she had forgotten. She would have time to be angry later. She had been gone from home for more than a week and she knew that Akane would be worried.

What Shampoo had been planning was beyond her. She always thought that the girl was a bit short of a full deck at times. Some of her crazy schemes never ceased to amaze. Her eyes felt laden so she just cracked them open slightly. After a couple of seconds she felt it was okay to open them fully. She opened her eyes and stretched simultaneously taking in her surroundings as she loosened her muscles. She saw someone in front of her. Someone who made her angry. She could feel the energy condensing around her body almost expecting to be used. She stopped herself however. She stopped herself because she and Akane had talked this over and even though she might have wanted to kill Ryouga at some time in her life, she had always been one to forgive. She was willing to forgive- forgive but not forget. The aura around her evaporated slowly. Ranma noticed the tension slowly ebb out of Ryouga.

"Ryouga…thanks," was all she could think of saying. She never had a lot to say to him anyway. Actually, at this moment there were a lot of things she wanted to say to him but none of them were complimentary and none of them would help them out one bit. She had gained some control over her tongue.

She turned to leave, but she did not recognise where they were.

"Ryouga? Where are we?"

"Um…I sorta got lost finding a place to put you…."

Ranma tried to remove the hand she had just plastered onto her face. Of all the stupid moronic…

She rolled her eyes. This was Ryouga after all. She just wanted to get back to her own home, to her husband, to a warm bed, for a nice long nap. That was what she wanted at the moment. She would have to find out where they were first, then find out how to get back home.

"Ranma are you o…okay?" asked Ryouga.

"Yeah…a bit tired but I'm okay. Well, are you gonna find out where we are or are you going to sit there and sulk whole night?"

Hearing the ultimatum, Ryouga gathered whatever little he had strewn around the fire and smothered the fire. When he turned around Ranma was already packed and waiting. She took the lead and he followed. He could easily see from his training that Ranma was far enough into her pregnancy that she had to compensate for it already. Somehow he did not think she wanted pampering and he knew that she was as stubborn as she had always been. From the night in the bathroom, he had been afraid of Ranma. Afraid that she would attack him. He knew the curse had come out at a bad time and strangely enough he thought when he came out he would have to face Akane's wrath. Instead, it had been Ranma who had issued a threat, just like how he used to issue threats to her.

He did not know if she was going the right way, but he knew that her sense of direction was way better than his. Sometimes he had to rely on others to lead him back to civilisation or he would be lost in the forests for weeks on end. This time was no different. However, he did leave a little space between him and Ranma in case she got an urge to find a punching bag.

He followed her lead as they pummelled through the forest. He wondered why Ranma would want to travel by night. No one really travelled by night unless it was truly necessary. Ranma hadn’t even given him a reason for her presence in the forests. He wasn't going to ask either. He punched a tree, thereby knocking it over, and continued on Ranma's trail. He saw that she was heading in the direction opposite to the sunset and he knew where that would take them.

How long had Ryouga said he walked for? Jeez. She knew she had been on her way to Jusenkyou and she hadn't been that far off. Ryouga's "little" trip had moved them way inland. They had hiked, and ran, for three or four days in the forests of China and finally they came to the sea. Getting to Japan would be difficult. In two weeks, her size had definitely changed and although she could still do almost all of the things she usually did, she could no longer hide it. That meant no cute Ranma-chan for a while. How were they going to get back to China? There was no way she was going to swim and she doubted if she was in any condition for that length of swim. She would also have to carry a piglet on top on her backpack. The idea was not very enticing. How to get across?

Ranma stayed a distance from the ships at the quay. She surveyed and watched and tried to read, looking for familiar Japanese kanji. She had been concentrating for an hour until she finally spotted something. It was a Japanese boat all right, but it was now coming in. There was no way to tell if the boat would leave after it docked, or in a week's time. She was not willing to leave and risk not finding another boat. It would take some time to reach a busier port, more time that she wanted. They would go in this boat.

Two days later, Ranma and a piglet were huddled in what could pass for the Crow's Nest of the boat. The seas were relatively calm and the captain had decided to keep his men on the deck but off the sails and ropes except when needed, for fear of encouraging frostbite. The temperature had plummeted and the air was brutally freezing with the high humidity. There was no need to have a lookout so there was no lookout much to the relief of the sailors on board.

Ranma shivered and wrapped herself tightly in whatever she had around her. She was still wet from the swim she had to take to get to the boat. She was even using P-chan as a heat source and for comfort. She could see why Akane liked to cuddle with the pig. It was soft and it was warm. At least she wasn't in the same situation with Akane. She had found a bra during their trek as they passed near some villages. She had become so accustomed to wearing one that she felt a bit naked without it.

She shivered again. If she ever saw Shampoo…She did not have enough time to finish the thought, as the over-laden cloud above could not hold back any longer. With a frightening bright shard of light that illuminated the sea for miles around, the unseen membrane that held back the clouds contents was punctured and the rain came. There was no wind accompanying the rain and it fell straight down in sheets. Cold rain fell heavily, rapping against the wooden hull of the boat. In her huddled form Ranma grimaced and hoped that somehow she would fall asleep. It was going to be a long day.

In the morning a miserable girl and a piglet silently slipped away from the vessel as it docked on the Japanese mainland. It would take a couple of days before they would reach Tokyo- a couple of days of hard travelling. Ranma wondered how she could make that journey any shorter. Finding a warm secluded place in the hills overlooking the quay, Ranma was about to take off her clothes to dry them when she remembered that Ryouga was here. She did not have a lot of feminine modestly but when she thought of Akane exposing himself for other girls to oodle after she shuddered. Those kinds of inquires had been made by certain enterprising businessmen. They wanted to make it look as if their ideas would make them famous and the money they paraded was enticing, but neither she nor Akane wanted anything to do with that sort of business. Akane…

Ranma built a small fire and started heating some water for Ryouga who sat opposite to her his piggy eyes focused on her. The clouds overhead were still thick, but Ranma was sure that they had enough time for a fire and a quick meal.

****************** 

"Akane why?" asked his sister. "You've been insisting we wait here for her for the last two weeks. Why change now?"

"She's going home onee-chan. Home."

"How do you know that?"

"She tells me," he replied, then he held up the stone for her to see. "She tells me through her heart."

Nabiki crossed her eyes. Ever since he woke up with all his memories intact, he had been watching the stone intently every day. Whenever they said it was time to go back home, he would convince them that she would come to the village. All of a sudden, he changed his mind. He suddenly felt that Ranma would go back home. No one else knew what to make of the situation. They had been treated like kings in the village and Akane had actually not embarrassed Shampoo further in front of her family. He had even stated that she did not need to come back. Cologne had been adamant however. She had to come as her punishment. After three days of intermittent argument, Akane had given up.

Nabiki sighed. There was no way she could tell her little brother no. She hoped he was right and Ranma would soon be back home. She missed home. She was beginning to miss having Ranma around. She was always so full of energy. It was hard to describe Ranma.

She was glad that it was time to go home.

*****************

Since this was Japan, Ranma and Ryouga kept to the main roads and trails instead of forging their own. Ranma told Ryouga that this way it would be easier for them to get food. The real reason was that she thought it would be infinitely easier for Ryouga to get lost in the think forests than in the well-hewn trails. Of course, she wasn't taking any chances and had tied a string from her hand to his neck so that there would be no way of him getting lost. They were walking through some town when Ranma heard the familiar cries of women everywhere who were being taken advantage of. Ranma smirked. Home could wait a little longer; there were certain things than had more priority. Tying her end of the string to a post, Ranma followed the shouts and soon saw her target looming ahead of her. She thought quickly and an idea popped into her mind. She smirked. She might be pregnant, but there were some things the old pervert could not help himself from. Roof-hopping, Ranma overtook the charging mob and the old man who was taunting them as he escaped. On his back, he carried a large bag that was no doubt filled with the underwear of women. Ranma fired a volley of stones at the bag-toting pervert and smiled as one of then managed to hit his hand causing him to release his hold on the bag, the others had merely ripped holes in the bag. The bag rebounded off a wall and its contents spilled onto the streets.

Happosai looked around. He had been having too much fun to concentrate and look for any of those who would interrupt his innocent hobby. He felt someone. It was close, but it was…no, it wasn't someone he knew or was it. Something was feeling out of place about this person. This person was or is or…hmmm. Happosai was fully interested now in the strange aura. It reminded him of someone, but who it was, he could not make the connection.

Ranma saw Ryouga wandering a bit aimlessly. She couldn't believe her luck that Ryouga had got himself lost in a good place this time.

"Hey, Ryouga. Do me a favour. Sit right there in the middle of the road." Ranma dipped into her backpack. "Oh, and hold this."

It was one of the bras she had washed and worn. Ryouga picked it up with one finger and eyed the piece of clothing.

"Be a man Ryouga," taunted Ranma, "'sides, I washed it already."

Ryouga let out an audible sigh of relief.

Happosai felt another presence. This time he recognised the person. It was that misguided boy who always fought against his heir. What should he do? Should he have some fun with the boy or should he chase after the unknown person. Bah, he was an old man. Fun sounded a lot better than chasing someone he did not know.

Happosai was quickly coming upon the boy from the front until he saw what was in the boy's hands. It was from… from the person he did not know! A girl, a girl that powerful. There was only a few who could get that powerful. Happosai need those. It would be the crown of his collection. The coupe de gras so to speak.

"Hey sonny, give an old man a little pleasure."

"Huh," replied Ryouga, but he caught on quickly. He saw Ranma creeping up from behind the old lecher. "Nope this one's mine," replied Ryouga as he unwillingly tucked the bra into his shirt.

"You should listen to your elders boy," replied Happosai, before he lunged at Ryouga. Ranma was bout to jump in at that time, but she just couldn't. She hadn't witnessed a good fight between other people in a long time and for some reason she just wanted to wait. She applauded Ryouga's efforts, but she knew the old man was too much for him. She just needed Ryouga to keep him distracted long enough for her to work some magic. She struck a pose that hid the front part of her body, but allowed a perfect view of her other side. She waited and waited until she saw Happosai about to release some of his Happo-daikarins.

"Oh Happi-honey where have you been. I've been looking so hard for you."

Happosai stopped in mid throw, causing the bomb to explode in his hands.

Who was this girl? No it couldn't be. Ranma?

"Darling, I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Ranma?"

"Yes darling. Come over here. I have a present for you."

The thought crossed Happi’s mind that it could be a trick, but then again, Happi was never one to undermine his own ability to escape. Could the spirit have changed Ranma so much? She looked taller and healthier, then maybe she had bigger…surely she had bigger…if only he could see. He couldn’t see though, not with the floral sheet draped across her body like a robe. To make matters worse, her body was facing the opposite direction. He just had to see, to feel, to touch those beauties…

"Sweeto! I’m coming!" shouted Happi, and he jumped. Jumped in a high arc that would land him right in front of Ranma. It was the same jump, the same attack that he had always used when he saw vulnerable well-endowed women.

front toes scooped under a piece of thread in front of her that she had intentionally placed there. The old man would be there soon enough. She counted…three…two...one.

Ranma fell back, pulling, tugging a weighted string into the air. She only had one chance.

ught as Happosai passed through and she knew she had him. She flipped, and wanted to shout to the high heavens that she had finally exacted her revenge. The victory was pre-emptive. There were no cries of horror, nothing. She stared at Happosai as the old man twirled the magically cursed string with his pipe. Damn, she wanted to hit him and was going to pelt him with the stone in her hand when she realised that it wasn’t a stone. It was something even more powerful.

Happosai watched the girl as she got up from the ground and then began to cry. Now, Happi was an old man and he had strange ways of achieving pleasure out of life, but something he couldn’t stand was a beautiful girl crying in front of him, even though she was pregnant.

"Now deary, why are you crying?"

"Oh…*sniff*…I just wanted to give you a present *sniff*…"

Happi eyed the jewel-encrusted string.

"The spirit said I should *sniff*…"

More tears came streaming down her face.

Happi looked at Ranma then at the string. He couldn’t bear to see a girl cry like and slowly he moved to put the necklace on making note that he had to get a new heir. A cry-baby girl would never do as his heir.

Ranma watched him as he put on the wide necklace and as soon as it was on, Ranma pulled on the near invisible wire in her hand, tightening it around his neck. Then she smiled, evilly, while tossing away the crushed onion.

Revenge was sweet, even if Happosai did not know that she had had her revenge. She thought of telling him, but she didn’t want to. She wanted him to find out for himself. Instead, she banged her fist against the loose earth and created a huge dust cloud.

From afar, Ranma, who had lost Ryouga again, waited in the rooftops waiting…and waiting…and then she heard it. The loud long anguished cry of a person whose most enjoyable pastime had just been stripped away from them.

A simple favour from Mai was all it took to reproduce the magic of the Reversal Jewel in a different manner. This time, the Jewel did not change the mind of the person, but did something else. Happosai now had to live, to know what had happened to him.

He simply could not get close to women or the clothes of women who hadn’t reached menopause. A fitting punishment Ranma might add. He could only play in his own league. Oh, and if he did get too close, the repulsive force from the cursed necklace would force him away, painfully, from his intended target. She hoped he didn’t…

A bright column of chi and an explosion broke her train of thought.

…he did. He tried to remove the necklace. Foolish old man, he probably looked like an overcooked slab of meat right now. Serves the old man for cursing her…and her lover.

She would have liked to stay and gloat in Happosai’s face, but she was really feeling homesick…well not really homesick…but she was dearly missing the sight and touch of another person she was deeply in love with. She had better get going. There would be other times to glow in her victory.

***************

Ranma finally broke out of the forests to the lights of Tokyo. It was very cold, and was she tired. Three days! Three days of non-stop running! She probably could have done that in her sleep before she had become pregnant, but pregnancy had the ability of sapping your energy and did she feel sapped. She felt she was getting bigger everyday and the sudden kicks told her that the child didn’t really like her exercising. She needed to get back home…but she was so tired, tired and sleepy…and hungry too. She had stopped a couple of times to snatch food from one tree or the other as she passed, but it wasn’t as filling as it had once been.

She was tired. The lights were glaring at her to take a nap, her feet were becoming leaden and unmoveable, but she had to go on. She could hardly feel anything with her ki. That was how exhausted she was. She tried to move her feet forward, but she slipped. She slipped and was falling back. She braced herself for the impact but it never came.

Slowly she opened her eyes and saw someone. Someone she recognised.

"How did…how did you find me?"

He placed a stone in her hand. A red uncut gem that was worth next to nothing but the world to two people.

"I don’t need this anymore. I know where your heart is. He held her hand against his left breast. It's mine:"

He gently laid her down on a sleeping mat and kissed her forehead.

"Shhh…I’m here, sleep…sleep…"

He smiled as her sky blue eyes finally closed. He knew she was tired. He eyes wandered lower and he wondered what his parents would say when they found out. It was inevitable now. He smiled to himself, what was he worried about?

Ranma wrapped her hands around him and he flipped a heavy woollen sheet over them. He smiled. She was safe…safe once again, and with him. That was all that mattered.

In the distance, tears streaked down Shampoo’s cheeks as…

"Go on, continue…" urged Jen.

Hastily, Senma clicked on save and prayed that it would finish in time. A ping cleared her anxiety and she quickly closed the application. She just heard the front door close and like clockwork, her parents would check in on her not that she needed it.

"Aww man. I was enjoying that…" complained Jen. He loved science fiction and fantasy stories, even if they were based on strange things like curses and happened to have as the main characters his girlfriend’s parents and close friends.

(knock knock)

"Senma, are you in there?"

"Yes Mom, come on in!" replied Senma.

The door opened noiselessly revealing a couple who, even though they were in their early thirties, did not look a day older than twenty-five.

"Hi Jen. If you’re planning on leaving the house tonight, don’t bother, your parents said that they’ll be dropping by for the party later."

"Oh I wouldn’t dream of it Auntie Ranma," replied Jen. "Senma has told me how important today is."

"Has she?"

Just then, two children, twins- a girl and a boy, who were as active as their parents were when they were younger- invaded Senma’s room via the window and began to spray water everywhere around the room. Annoyed, Senma was relieved that she had bought the plastic covered computer that would not let water in no matter how much it got rained on. She smirked, Auntie Nabiki would be proud of her. She just wished that the two hadn't stolen water from the kettle again. It was just as well that the water was hot but not boiling.

"Yui, Yuri, how many times have I told you not to play in your sister’s room!" scolded Ranma.

The twins looked at their mother, looked at each other then smiled, raised their weapons, and fired, soaking their parents.

Jen wondered just what punishment Auntie Ranma would come up with. She was _very_ creative.

He rubbed his eyes. No longer were Uncle Akane and Auntie Ranma in the hallway, in their place was a taller dark haired woman and a shorter, dark haired man who bore resemblance to the Tendo’s and fit exactly the description of…

His eyes opened wide.

It was true. It wasn’t a story! It was true! There were things like curses and demons and…

It was a bit too much for one mind to take in such a short time. Senma smirked as Jen fainted and fell on the soaking floor.

"Didn’t tell him did you?" asked her Dad currently Mom.

She shook her head.

"At least she didn’t run screaming from the house like her brother’s girlfriend did," added her Mom currently Dad.

"Yes, Toma’s daughter is pretty strange considering her father’s island is a wandering curse. You’d think Tenma would have at least told her some of our adventures with her father."

"Hey, didn’t you say you wanted a nice warm bath before the party?" asked Ranma.

Akane put her hands around Ranma’s head.

At this time… Senma would like to state explicitly that she did not wait around to look at her parents doing all the smooching and gooey stuff. Instead, she kicked out her siblings, picked up her dead weight boyfriend and jumped out the window. Hopefully, Yoshi might be in the Dojo. She wondered if her friend would challenge her again. Uncle Ryouga’s children were so pig-headed. She laughed out aloud at her own pun.