Ranma 1/2: A Very Tragic Legend Ranma 1/2: A cure for the curse - Chapter 0 A Mid-Space production fanfic Posted at: www( dot )midspace( dot )com( slash )fanfic ______________________________________________________________________ Disclaimer: All significant characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The Ranma 1/2 Manga and Anime are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Communications in their various formats and media. Some characters are of my own creation, but I'd like to think they belong to Rumiko, since without her they never would have been born. All other characters are the property of their respective owners. The use of Ranma 1/2 and its characters in this story are not intended as an infringement on the intellectual property rights of Rumiko Takahashi or Viz Communications. I haven't seen any Shogokukan material, so naaaaae! . All rights remain with their respective owners. This story is intended to inform and entertain, and not to make money, however much I want it. Though I'd much prefer it if you enjoy this story, then email me and tell me. I'd love to hear from you. ______________________________________________________________________ History: 05-Aug-2002: Inspiration for the beginning of this story. 06-Aug-2002: Finish part one. Then revised and expanded what I had written, because it was very brief in it's context initially. 14-Aug-2002: Corrected spelling mistakes and such. Posted on my web page first time. 18-Aug-2002: Started on Chapter 2. 20-Aug-2002: Finished reading "Equal Halves" by Deborah Goldsmith. Its only similarity is the concept of two Ranma's. But the female version is from an alternative universe. 28-Aug-2002: After reading "Equal Halves", I had to read "Genma's Daughter" by Deborah Goldsmith. It's such a wonderful story, well written. I'm so impressed, that I want to re-write and expand my story. Thus the second revision of chapter 1 begins. 06-Sep-2002: I came across "Nullifier 122" Parts 1-4 by Webdragon. Okay, this one is almost exactly the same as mine. When I started my story, I knew there had to be other fanfics out there with the same premise, you know, split Ranma into two, one female and one male. But this story is so close its freaky. Other than it being unfinished, I found the story disconcerting. Webdragon has written the story, in the sense that the girl-Ranma is forced in becoming a girl, just *because* she happens to be in a female body. This isn't right, and it's not where I want to take my story. The male ego/personality/mindset is trapped in a female body. It should literally be screaming to get out of the body; instead it just degrades into forced femininity. Ugh. 08-Sep-2002: Solved the lack of plot for my story, so it's back on track. Funny thing is, it was there all the time. I just didn't see it. 21-Sep-2002: Finished reading "Careful Destiny" Parts 1-5 by Todd Hill. Another story with a Ranma and Ranko. But this time they are *born* as brother and sister. Okay there is another twist in the story that is the focus, but that is the basics. 21-Sep-2002: Finished second revision of Chapter 1 26-Sep-2002: Posted at fanfic.net for reviews 27-Sep-2002: Fixed a few inconsistencies in Chapter 1, with my version of mixing Curses. 03-Oct-2002: Thanks to Zorknot42 for pointing out an error in my Japanese I'd missed. 08-Oct-2002: I learnt to time travel, and finished first version of Chapter 2 (except errors, so send C&C). Also tweaked the format program. Sections are now recognisable. 15-Oct-2002: Omake #1 Complete. Still working on chapter 3. Having trouble with depicting the duo properly. 19-Oct-2002: Finished Chapter 3 and revision. 29-Oct-2002: Wasn't happy about the dream sequence in Chapter 3. Have rewritten this piece about four times, and now it feels right. 10-Nov-2002: Changed the rating to PG13+, because some of the content in new chapters is a little violent. Continuing very slowly. 09-Dec-2002: Haven't gotten much writing done. No one has reviewed Chapter 3. :( I've finished reading "Insertion" by Carrot Glace. (Technically it's not finished. Only got up to Part 91.) Awesome read at over 500,000 words. Only story I've seen so far that has described the girl who died in the Nyanneechuan, called Xianfu. ______________________________________________________________________ Authors Comments: Though a large fan of Ranma 1/2, I'm not any good at Japanese, so bear with me in my bad attempt at using what little Japanese grammar I know. This story follows the 20th Manga Volume of Ranma 1/2, as released by Viz. If you've read the Manga, you'll see the point it leaves off, and this story begins. It follows the concept of a cure being offered to Ranma by a stranger. But the cure isn't necessary a full on fix for Ranma's problem. Read on and find out. This is my first attempt at writing a Fan Fiction, so any comments *would* be appreciated. BTW: I'm using my own program to format this text. I hope you like -_-. I haven't seen the entire Anime or read the entire Manga, so I don't know if a final and permanent cure really does get offered to Ranma, but this is entirely my idea. Well, it's an idea that followed an idea, which followed an idea. And it just kept building in my mind until I had to put it down. Unfortunately I kept having more ideas, which delayed my writing until I could put them together. If this story is at all similar to any others (which I've found out recently) it is purely unintentional. Hopefully any similarity will disappear with the more that I write. The rest of the credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi for creating such wonderful characters. Rating: PG13+. If you're old enough to read the Manga or watch the Anime without a blood nose, then you can read this. Lemon factor: 0.0%. Lime factor: 8.0%. WAFF content: Initialising counter: [...] Special thanks to Bekar my pre-reader. Reading this story includes "Japanese speech," 'Speech other than Japanese, including signs held by pandas', *emphasis,* [the characters thoughts,] {some other characters thoughts,} ______________________________________________________________________ Prologue - A white mountainside The high craggy mountains in the Bayankala Range stretched for hundreds of Kilometres throughout the Mt Quanjing region, patches of forest dotting the landscape. Breaking the endless pattern of dull green and brown were the white caps of snow in the higher altitudes, which was slowly creeping down the mountains. Winter was coming, and even in the Qinghai Province of China, the white snows always came. It covered a wide region of the Province, even in the small cleft of a valley that held hundreds of naturally occurring springs. The springs were little known, but to a small select few who had trekked through China searching the legendary training grounds known as Jusenkyo. Even fewer knew that they were cursed springs. Two people stood on the snow sprinkled ridge in heavy coats and packs on their backs. Of all the people in the world, these two knew about the springs, and the danger that lurked in falling into the waters of Jusenkyo. Together they looked down over the training grounds, with several upright bamboo poles dispersed in each and every spring, providing small platforms of sorts, for those with the skill and the courage to practice aerial forms of martial arts. "Well, there it is Akane-chan," said Ranma, gesturing at the springs with a hand. "That's Jusenkyo." "The accursed springs," she whispered with a sense of awe at seeing the place with her own eyes. End Prologue ______________________________________________________________________ Ranma 1/2: A cure for the curse - Chapter 1 A Mid-Space production fanfic Posted at: midspace dot com slash fanfic ______________________________________________________________________ Standard Disclaimer: This is my work, but not my characters... blah blah. You get the point. See the Prologue for more. ______________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1 - Curse's and cures Several weeks earlier... Nadoka Saotome blinked her eyes as she looked up at figure that leaned over her. [That's it. She's seen me! Might as well kill myself now,] Ranma thought to herself. At first Nadoka thought her son was in front of her. "Ra..." she began, then recognised the red haired girl who held a look of disappointment on her face. Nadoka stood up, miraculously dry after the being thrown through the air by the hot water from the pump. "Ranko... so it was *you* who saved me?" Nadoka asked. "Huh...?" Ranma said. [She must have seen me change! No... she didn't?] "Uh, no, I mean..." Ranma stumbled over her words. Nadoka didn't hear her, "Of course... that must have been just a dream..." she said. "A dream!?" Akane and Ranma said together incredulously. "I dreamt that Ranma rescued me," Nadoka said, her eyes shining with the vision still clear in her mind. "Oh he was such a fine young man..." Genma stood at a safe distance in Panda form and sweat dropped. Ranma was at a loss for words. "Actually Mrs. Saotome..." Akane began, but Ranma cut her off with a hand before she could say another word. Akane looked to Ranma, "But..." "It's okay, being a dream for now..." Ranma said, her eyes showing happiness. [Until I can become a complete guy again.] Akane understood, that this was Ranma's choice. She looked at Ranma, who stood there and watched as his mother waved goodbye to them, with a large smile clear on her face. [There's a look in Ranma's eyes,] Akane thought, smiling to herself. [Hold on tight to that dream, okaasan,] thought Ranma, as she vanished from view down the street. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Happosai moped around the Tendo Dojo, feeling depressed. He clutched in one hand, a frilly pink brassier that he rubbed against his face, but it wouldn't... it couldn't cheer him up. "Ohh, life is so cruel," he wailed. The Tendo's and the Saotome's watched as he walked along the hallway, looking about ready to bawl his eyes out. Ranma looked over at the old letch. "Looks like he's ready to keel over," he commented. "Don't be so cruel Ranma," Genma spoke up from his game with Soun. "The master has not being feeling himself lately." "Maybe this will cheer him up?" Nabiki held a stick out, waiving a pair of panties over the old man. "Hey isn't that one of mine?" Akane called out. Nabiki disappeared around the corner as Happosai followed, with Akane in pursuit. Soun Tendo looked up from the Shogi board. "I think we should take the master out on a training trip, like the way we used to." Genma paused, one hand holding a game piece in mid move. "You mean, visit our old stomping grounds, and refresh the old memories?" He said, a smile starting to appear on his face. "We could re-live the old days!" Soun chuckled. "What, stealing panties and bras from villages, and food whenever convenient?" Ranma asked. "Who asked you boy!" Genma demanded. An empty bucket dropped from his hand, rolling across the floor out of sight. ... "When it involves you stealing food from the Amazons, it affects me!" Onna-Ranma called out to the panda climbing out of the Koi pond in the yard. "We don't intend to go that far Ranma," Soun said, taking the opportunity to hide several game pieces. Genma held up a sign in his furred paw as he came back inside and resumed his seat, 'Master's special place' "What special place?" Soun turned to Genma, with a big smile. Genma returned it with a toothy grin. Ranma thought she felt a shiver run down her spine, watching those two conspire. The sensation felt so real she forced herself to look around at her back, and found Happosai stuck to her, his hands groping at her chest. "Dammit you old letch," she yelled, yanking him off and booting the old man out the doorway and off into the distance. "Whaaaaa!" was all that could be heard as he disappeared. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== It was a strangely silent night with little wind and dark foreboding clouds lingered on the horizon. A stranger had appeared in town that day, wearing a heavy cloak that covered most of his features from view. Those that were familiar with strange visitors had initially thought it was the peculiar kid with the yellow bandana who often frequented the town, always asking for directions. And the place usually sought for was, of course, the Tendo Dojo. And it was no exception that the stranger also sought the same place. A man out on the street, hawking Okonomiyaki from a cart became the centre of the stranger's attention. "Could you tell me where I can find the Tendo Dojo?" The man pointed a cooking implement down the road. "It's down that way, turn left before the drainage canal, follow it until you pass under the rail line, then take the first left, and then the second right, and you should find it on your left." The stranger bowed, and headed down the road, following the instructions precisely. "Awfully polite fellow," the man commented before returning his attention to his Okonomiyaki cart. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== At his window, Ranma stared out at the calm sky. A full moon could be seen amongst the clouds that were drifting in, shining it's filtered light on his face. It was quiet, almost too quiet. [I almost wish something would happen,] he thought glumly, and then shook his head. Soun and Genma had left on a trip with the old letch, leaving him alone with the girls. They hadn't wanted Ranma to come along, with Genma telling him, "There are some things we have to re-live with just the 3 of us." Soun put it better when he said, "Ranma, we don't want you finding out what sort of torture the master put us through." He broke down crying in Ranma's chest, "And look after my three babies!" Akane could be heard in the background. Right before they'd gone, Genma said one last thing. "Son, this is your chance to get with Akane. No parents looking over your shoulder. Be a *man*, and make the best of it." Genma had slapped him hard on the back and then left. [What does he take me for? An idiot?] ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Akane's schoolwork had been all of 30 mins of algebra, leaving her with nothing to do for hours. She'd sat in her room reading one of her few books through again until she threw it down in boredom. It wasn't the same without her father and Genma around, providing some form of entertainment. It was too quiet for her. She wanted to get out, and do something, like see a movie. She'd already asked Nabiki. "I'm sorry imouto, but I've got to balance these books and finish my homework tonight," Nabiki had said. "Why don't you ask Ranma-kun?" So Akane had tried Kasumi. "Oh my!" Kasumi said surprised by the offer. "Thankyou imouto, but wouldn't it be better to take Ranma -kun?" [Ranma, Ranma... Maybe Oneechan is right and I should take him... it's not as if our fathers will try anything...] She walked up and down the hallway, looking at Ranma's door as she considered. [It's just a movie after all, it's not as if we're dating.] ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Ranma turned from the window and stared at his room. He noticed a shadow pass by his closed door. It came back again and went in the other direction. Ranma waited, as the shadow went back and forth a few times before stopping in front of his door. [Two small feet. Not Kasumi's style, and Nabiki wouldn't be so obvious.] "Come in Akane," he called out. The handle turned, and the door swung open. "How... how'd you know?" Akane asked. Ranma just rolled his eyes. "What d'ya want?" Akane felt a flush of anger at his tone, but held it back. [Maybe he was doing something and I interrupted...] Akane thought. She looked around the room, as if considering what to say. "I was thinking..." she began. "Would you like to..." Before she could finish, there was a loud knocking from the front door downstairs. "Who could that be?" Ranma said, getting up from the windowsill. He hadn't even heard the squeaking of the wooden gates at the front. [Maybe it's Shampoo? Or Ukyo-chan?] He thought, heading for the doorway, leaving Akane's standing there with her question unfinished. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Kasumi reached the door first. She had a pleasant smile on her face as she opened the door to find a stranger in a heavy cloak. "Is this the Tendo Dojo?" The stranger asked. "Yes it is," Kasumi replied. "Can I help you?" "Could you please tell me, where can I find Ranma Saotome?" "Ranma? Oh certainly..." Kasumi turned and called out. "Ranma -kun. A visitor for you." She turned back to the visitor, inviting him in. "Would you like to come in? I've just prepared some tea." ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Ranma came downstairs to find the stranger still standing in the dark cloak, covering his features. Instantly suspicious of the unknown stranger seeking him out, Ranma is on guard as he faces the stranger in the main room of the Tendo house. Akane and Nabiki appear at the doorway to the dinning room, to see this stranger as Kasumi returns with a tray holding a pot of tea and some cups. "Here you go Kaneda-san," Kasumi offered a cup to the stranger, who sat himself at the table. The stranger took a single sip from the cup before placing it down on the table in front of him. His face was still covered by the heavy cloak. "Ranma Saotome?" the man asked, his eyes barely visible. Ranma tensed, expecting an attack. Instead, the man flips his hood off, revealing a slim man, his face weathered by time and travel, with jet black hair tied in a short ponytail. "And you are?" Ranma asks. "I am Kaneda Shotaro." [Kaneda? I don't know any Kaneda,] Ranma thinks to himself, still wary. "I don't expect you've heard my name," he says. "I have travelled *many* a mile on my treks. I have being places and seen things that only the gods themselves could comprehend." "So why are yo looking for me then? Are you another challenger?" Ranma finally asks. "A challenger?" Kaneda asks. "Oh, no. No. I am not. I have come here, because of Jusenkyo." [The cursed springs?] "Ohh," the Tendo girls exclaimed together in surprise, coming into the room. "What... what about Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked. "Are the not the Ranma Saotome who visited the legendary training grounds of cursed springs, Jusenkyo, and fell in Nyanneechuan, the Spring of Drowned girl are you not?" "What of it?" Ranma asks. His interest was piqued enough that he came forward warily, to sit at the table. Kaneda started out telling his story, sipping tea between talking. "I was once cursed by the Jusenkyo springs." [Once?] Ranma thinks. "It was 20 years ago, when I first..." Kaneda hesitated, remembering the pain of the loss of everything he'd known in his life. He swallowed, and pushed forward. "I travelled from Japan in search of answers to questions I had, and ended up in China. You could call it an accident, but that is how I ended up with my curse. The guide wasn't very helpful, as he didn't know much Japanese. But to find myself changing bodies because of..." Kaneda look to Ranma, sorrow filling his eyes. "You understand of course." Ranma could only nod in sympathy. "Seeking to understand what had happened to me, I stayed on with the Guide and learnt Mandarin, whilst teaching him Japanese at the same time. It was a slow process, learning all the fundamentals of a new language, and the nature of the curse." Kaneda emptied his cup. "More tea?" Kasumi offered. "Yes, arigotou." Kasumi filled his cup, and listened as Kaneda continued his tale. "I learnt many things whilst I was there, many important things about the Jusenkyo springs and the curses." Ranma would have being on the edge of his seat, had he not being sitting on the floor already. "Chinese legends talk of a large god, known Ma-Zhang who roamed the countryside searching for the perfect bride. He'd move from town to town, pillaging them in search of a girl to be his bride. The towns usually knew when he was coming, as he could be heard coming for some distance, and they hid their unmarried girls away in the forests whenever he came looking. Ma-Zhang did this for 100 years, until he realised that the towns, though they never had any girls in them when he visited, the people kept changing, and they never died out. He got angry and went on a rampage; killing everyone in the next town he came to. The girls who had hidden in the forest had watched from a distance, as families had being killed, so they plotted their revenge. Ma-Zhang watched as the girls came out of hiding, many beautiful girls who promised to marry him. Ma-Zhang agreed because all their familles were dead, he would marry all of them. The girls all agreed too, and told him to return on the next day when they would begin a feast for their nuptials. Ma-Zhang left, leaving the girls alone. The girls buried their familles, and set about cooking a great feast." "They were going to marry him?" Akane asked. "Oh they had no intention of marrying him," said Kaneda. "Ma -Zhang returned the next day to find a huge banquet ready. Because Ma-Zhang was so large, he ate all the food there, stuffing himself greedily. Ma-Zhang hadn't realised this, but all the food had being poisoned. It was only when he felt dizzy that he knew there was something wrong. He asked the girls what they had done, and they told him that it was revenge for killing their families. Ma-Zhang was shocked, yet he also understood. As Ma-Zhang collapsed, it is said that he cursed the ground he fell upon, saying that for eternity, the waters that flow from this ground will bring back the dead in the forms of the living. Ma-Zhang's body struck the ground, creating the Bayankala ranges. It is said that Jusenkyo springs are in the very spot where bodies of those dead families were buried." Kaneda took a sip of tea, as Ranma reattached his jaw. "Though the story of the spring's creation are interesting, nothing has every being said about how such a curse can be removed." "What about using the Nanniichuan?" Ranma asked. Kaneda frowned. "The spring of drowned man? It is useful, but it does not cure. It is would be like mixing your curses, making it much worse. Mixing a Nanniichuan on top of a Nyanneechuan, and your cursed form would result in a hermaphrodite, though how much so is hard to say. And the Nanniichuan is not a pretty one by itself. That is unless you enjoy looking like a short Chinese man with features resembling the man who drowned in it originally." "I didn't know..." Ranma stumbled. All that time he'd spent chasing the Japanese Nanniichuan, fighting with Ryoga and getting into the girls locker room and then there was Shampoo with the Instant Nanniichuan Powder... "Wait," Ranma interrupted. "I had some Instant Nanniichuan Powder a few months ago, and it was able to cure my curse, although it only worked once." "Was this a 'Jusenkyo Magical Spring Product'?" "Yes, why?" Kaneda chuckled lightly. "'Jusenkyo Magical Spring Products' was one of my attempts at finding a cure. It was made from an unstable concoction of elements and distilled Jusenkyo spring water. It only worked once per application. The fact that it worked at all was a miracle, and not because it was made from Nanniichuan spring water, but because the mixture itself interfered with the actual curse." Kaneda shrugged his shoulders. "It was a poor attempt with mixed results." "You mean if a cursed girl had used the instant Nanniichuan, she'd have stayed as a girl?" Ranma asked dumfounded. "Pretty much. The instant Nanniichuan affects those without a Jusenkyo curse in the usual way. It's just no cure." "So you ended up marketing this?" Nabiki piped up. "I was living in one of the Chinese towns by this time, so I had to make a living somehow. Flogging off the Instant Nanniichuan Powder for some money seemed like a great idea at the time. Ever since leaving Jusenkyo most of my time has being devoted to finding a cure. I spent 20 long years trying to find a cure. I travelled all over, seeking magical treatments, reversal charms, anything, including resorting to black magic to help." "You didn't find one?" Akane asked. "On the contrary, I did find one," Kaneda replied. Before Ranma spoke again, he drew his jaw up from the floor. "A cure?" He leaned forward, forgetting his former caution. "Yes a cure," Kaneda replies, but Ranma sees something in his face a look that shows something other than the satisfaction of curing a life long curse. "A cure is possible. No longer would you find water splashing you at the most inconvenient time. Where a simple splash of water once would have made your life miserable, now means little more that getting wet." Kaneda mouth broke into a smile for the first time, as his eyes became shiny with moisture. Nabiki felt reluctant to break the man from his moment of happiness, but she was missing an important angle here and had to ask. "Why now? Why Ranma? I'm sure there are more people deserving of a cure from Jusenkyo..." Ranma glared at her for the suggestion, so she quickly changed her words. "...I mean, I'm sure that Ranma could cope with his cursed form much better compared to others, with smaller and more inconvenient forms." A sigh escaped from Kaneda. "There is a reason, that I will explain. This cure would more than likely work on all cured forms, but it would..." He stalled, as if unsure how best to form his words. "Those with human form curses are likely to suffer less pain, than those without," he finished. "The Chinese Guide kept a visitor registry, keeping a list of everyone who had ever visited Jusenkyo." "Hey, wasn't that stolen by that monster?" Akane interrupted. "It was stolen?" Kaneda asked, a worried look on his face. "Yeah, it taken by Pantyhose Taro," added Ranma. "Pantyhose?" Kaneda frowned. "Yeah, don't ask. It's a long story, and to make it short, Happosai ate the book, and the panty freak disappeared," said Ranma. "Hopefully for good." He added as an afterthought. "It does not matter, the registry is just for show. The guide keeps the real registry separate, along with more information on those who had fallen into a springs. It lists the spring, the name of the individual, and if possible where they live. There have being dozens of people over the recent years, few of which who fell into the human form springs. But of them all, your's was only one I was able to track down to your mother, and then to here." "Mom?" Ranma exclaimed, looking around nervously. "You didn't tell her about Jusenkyo did you?" "No. Just that I was searching for you. She was quite helpful in telling me where you were. I understand that there would be a reluctance on your part about telling some people about your curse, so I refrained from mentioning Jusenkyo or a cure to anyone until I found you." Ranma relaxed, comforted that Kaneda had kept his mouth shut in front of his mother. But having the cure itself would negate that entirely. "How can we trust what you are telling us is the truth?" Akane asked. Ranma heard the movement from behind him and dodged sideways, as a splash of water flew across the room, hitting Kaneda square in the face. He flinched noticeably, but there was no change of body, no unbelievable morphing into some creature. He remained the same man who had walked through the doorway. Ranma and Kaneda looked around at the person who threw the water, finding Nabiki standing there, guiltily holding an empty glass. "Just thought it was a good idea to check." Kasumi appeared with a towel, offing it to Kaneda. "Arigotou," he said, wiping his face dry. "It is understandable. You want to verify my story, yet I am unable to prove to you either that I was once cursed." "Hey that's true!" Akane exclaimed. Ranma rolled his eyes. "So what's this cure?" Kaneda let out a small snort. "It took a conversation with a Russian Paranormal Physicist about the properties of transmuting water, and the affects of latent thermodynamics of DNA." "Huh?" Akane asked. Ranma didn't understand most of it himself, but he knew what Kaneda talking about. "He's talking about the Jusenkyo water, you baka!" "At least I'm not a ecchi aquatransexual!" Akane shot back. Kaneda looked from one to the other, then to Nabiki with a questioning look on his face. She could only shrug in reply. Kaneda decided to continue. "Basically it is something so simple, it is almost beyond belief. To think that I wasted years in searching, and the cure turns out to be in the same place where the nightmare started." Kaneda's eyes were closed as he said this. Ranma waited expectantly for the visitor to tell him. "Ranma-san," said Kaneda, opening his eyes on the boy. "I must warn you, this cure is not without it's side effects." Ranma was almost ready to throttle the man. He'd talked on and on, and still hadn't gotten to the point. "Yet you must endure the pain with the cure, that is why of all the people who have been to Jusenkyo, why I choose to tell you." "Pain?" Ranma scoffed, pushing out his chest. "I can take anything!" "Except criticism," Nabiki mumbled. Akane sniggered. "If you are sure Ranma-san, I shall tell you." Ranma nodded enthusiastically, leaning forward as he listened carefully. "You will need to travel far, returning to Jusenkyo, with its legendary training grounds of cursed springs. Returning to the very spring, which cursed you, the Nyanneechuan. These springs, whilst well known for its training grounds, it is also a fresh water spring, naturally seeping out of the grounds at a temperature normally cold at those altitudes. You will have to collect water from the spring you fell into, enough to fill a whole kettle and heat the water to a boiling temperature for five minutes. When this is done, you must douse yourself with the still boiling water, and the curse will dissipate." [That's it?] Ranma stared wide-eyed at the man, surprised that the curse could be lifted so simply. [If we'd collected some of the water from the spring before we'd left, then I wouldn't have to travel back to China, but Pops had to drag me back to Japan for the engagement.] Nabiki was quiet as she thought to herself. [If the cure is so simple, then why hasn't Shampoo used it yet? Unless the Amazon's don't know about it... then Cologne doesn't know everything that she professes.] Akane jumped as the sound of thunder echoed outside the house, the lightning striking close by. She landed with arms wrapped around Ranma. The two stared at one another's faces momentarily, until she pulled away and struck him with a closed fist. "You hentai!" Ranma rocked back with the hit, absorbing most of it so he didn't go flying out of the room, but it did leave a distinct hand shaped impression on his face. Kaneda was on his feet as he looked outside with a serious look to his face. "I must leave, I have spent to much time here already," he said, leaving the tea unfinished. "What about this side affect you mentioned?" Nabiki asked. "No I must leave," he said as another crack of thunder sounded outside. "Gomen. I cannot stay in one place too long. I would be putting you all in danger if I stayed to explain." he said, with eyes staring wildly at the building darkness outside. "I can take anything," Ranma said, also standing to face the unknown threat from outside. Kaneda turned to Ranma, his face emotionless. "There is no man who can stand against the supreme forces of nature." He pulled the cloak up over his head. Ranma noticed for the only time, that sticked inside the cloak was a latticework of chain metal. He could even hear the rattling of metal on metal as Kaneda adjusted the garment so it covered him completely from head to toe. "I must leave now," Kaneda said, heading for the front door. Kasumi opened the door for him. Outside the sky was dark. Not with night, but with clouds that seemed to swell and gather upon themselves, driven by strong winds that were rattled loose tiles on the roof, and made the winds chimes dance. "I thankyou for your hospitality Kasumi-chan," Kaneda offered, making Kasumi blush slightly. "Please come again Kaneda-san," she replied. Kaneda stepped outside the door and paused, as if he were about to say something. There was flash of lightning outside, making everyone blink. When they all looked again outside the door, Kaneda was gone. "Strange fellow," said Kasumi as she closed the door. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== It was following night, and the sky had cleared of the strange dark clouds. In the Tendo home, a figure crept silently down the stairs. Ranma looked left then right checking that it was all clear. He held a large pack in one hand, as he headed for the kitchen. He'd need a few supplies of food for the journey, as it wouldn't do to starve on the way. He raided several items, and stuffed them into the pack. With a now bulging pack on his back, Ranma made his way through the darkened house with quiet steps, heading for the front door to make good his escape. He was half way there when heard a creak off to the right. He paused, wondering if he'd being caught. Ranma blinked as the lights came on, and stared wide eyed at the trio of girls who clustered at the stairs. Akane stood in front in her nightgown with a barbell in one hand, held over her head, ready to throw it at the intruder they'd heard downstairs. Kasumi and Nabiki backed their younger sister up, standing ready to give support. "Oh its Ranma!" Kasumi exclaimed, her fear of a burglar in the house disappearing. Akane lowered the barbell, and expression of disappointment on her face "You're not planning to sneak out of here without telling us are you?" Nabiki asked. "Ah, well..." Ranma held a hand behind his head and grinned with a guilty expression. "Ranma! You were going to go to China by yourself weren't you?" Akane demanded. "Why not? This is my problem!" "But... I want to go with you." "Akane, don't be stupid. I'm going to China. It's going to take weeks, so I can't have a girl go with me." "You shouldn't go alone Ranma. What if you get into trouble or something?" "As if I'd get into trouble..." "Like running into a cat?" Akane interrupted. Ranma froze. "C...c...cat?" He looked around furtively, but the room was empty of felines. He took a minute to calm down. "I guess maybe you could come along." [It'd be better than travelling with Ryoga, and going with Shampoo would be a seriously bad idea,] he thought glumly. "Really? Thankyou Ranma, you won't forget this. You can think of it as a training trip if you want. I could even cook for you." "Cook?" Ranma gulped. Nabiki thought it was an appropriate time to interrupt. "Ranma, have you thought about how you're going to get to China?" "Well, Pop and I swum across to China the first time. It's not going to be difficult just swim back." "Do you have any idea how long that'll take?" "Well it took us a couple of weeks to get from Jusenkyo to here," Ranma said, leaving out the details about travelling via the Amazon village, and the numerous times they were attacked by Shampoo on the way. "What if I told you that you could get there in under a week?" Nabiki said. "A week?" Ranma asked. "How?" Nabiki didn't reply, until he looked down at her extended hand. "20,000 Yen." Ranma almost choked. "20,000?" "Well, do you want to get there in under a week or not?" "Yes, but..." Ranma emptied his pockets. "I've only got about 4,000 Yen," he said holding out the scrunched up notes and coins. When Nabiki lowered her hand, Ranma looked downcast until she took the money from him. "That'll do for now. You can pay me the rest later. I've being able to book passage for two on a ship leaving Tokyo harbour for China in the morning." "A ship? That's great!" Akane said. "Don't thank me yet. What are you going to do about school while you're gone?" "What about it?" Ranma shot back. "This is a cure, a final cure. To make me a whole man again!" He said, striking a pose. "Akane-chan, you're not just going to do nothing about your school work are you?" "Um..." Akane hesitated, not sure what to do. "5,000 Yen." Nabiki stated, her hand out. Akane grumbled as she handed the money over to her Mercenary sister. "That'll be taken care of," said Nabiki as she counted it. "You'll both have to be at the docks by 6AM." "I'll pack some food for the trip," Kasumi volunteered, heading for the darkened kitchen still in her nightgown. Kasumi voice floated out as the lights came on in the kitchen. "And you'll have to take some warm coats with you too." Ranma looked from the kitchen to the other two sisters. He considered them both as they had big smiles on their faces. [Nabiki's probably thinking about how much money she's going to make out of me, but Akane?] "I'll expect you to pay me back every yen Ranma." Nabiki turned around, and headed back to her room. She stopped as she remembered something, and called over her shoulder. "Oh, and Ranma-kun. If you can't pay me back in two weeks, I'll start changing you interest." ==={ @~>~~~ }=== They'd left the ship behind in Shanghai 5 days before, and Akane still couldn't believe that her sister had sold them out as labour on board a freighter. "I mean I just don't get it. How could she?" Akane complained. "You don't get it? I'm the one who still owes her 16,000 Yen, and I don't see any way of making money out here do you?" [She'd going to take it out of my hide when we get back,] Ranma thought glumly. [How does Nabiki always get me into this? At least she won't be able to take any more embarrassing photos of my female side. Heh.] Ranma's face changed into a grin at the thought of finally getting rid of his curse. If what the strangely cloaked Kaneda had said were true, then in a few hours, his nightmare would be over. [No more old ladies splashing me at bad moments. I'll be able to take a bath again, without having the guys ogle me, or worry about being chased out by the girls.] Ranma was elated. [*And* no more Happosai trying to get into my clothes. I won't have to go chasing phantom cures with Ryoga, or have weird men trying...] "How much father is it?" Akane spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. Ranma looked around at the countryside. They were between tall mountains, which were high enough to have white peaks all year round. Winter hadn't really settled in yet but the icy cold ground they walked upon crunched under their footsteps. Here and there a smattering of snow dotted the landscape. It was just as well they wore the heavy coats Kasumi had given them otherwise the cold would have stopped them long ago. Ranma considered the terrain. [This place looks very familiar.] "It's not too far," said Ranma. Akane stole a look at her travelling companion. Six days they'd being travelling together, mostly alone. It's the first time she had had the chance to spend time with her 'fianc? alone, without interruption by bonbori wielding maniacs, or psychotic siblings. It was the first time they'd spent time together, so in some ways it felt almost like a date to her. She shuddered at the thought. [No, this is a training trip, not a date. We aren't going to kiss each other when we get home.] But she could help but be reminded of when she tried to cook a meal for them the first night. She knew her culinary skills were severely lacking yet she still tried her best. [He didn't have to act like he was being choked to death though. Jerk.] Akane sighed as she adjusted the pack she carried. [But he did try to eat all of it.] The ridge they followed slowly rose to what looked like another mountain peak, until it eventually crested at a ridge at the end of a small hidden valley. Hundreds of small pools dotted the valley, some of which were hidden out of sight behind rocky outcroppings which split the valley into a number of branches that spread out in a number of directions. Bamboo poles stood vertically out the pools, making the valley floor look like the back of a porcupine. "Well, there it is Akane-chan. That's Jusenkyo," said Ranma as he gestured at the springs. [We're here. We're finally here.] Akane stared in awe at the place. All she could say was, "The accursed springs." Ranma restrained himself from running down the slope to the springs without Akane. [It'll come soon enough,] he told himself, as they climbed down together, scuffing the light snow on the ground as they approached. [Just a few more minutes.] Stopping short of the springs, they found some sort of sign stuck in the ground. Ranma dusted some snow off the sign with a gloved hand. Large Chinese symbols were written across it. Ranma stared at the sign, trying to comprehend the writing without success. "I can't read it," he sighed. Ranma turned towards the throat sounds Akane was making, to find her pointing at the far bottom corner of the sign. He leaned in close to make out barely legible Japanese kanji. "Welcome to Jusenkyo. Closed for winter," he read. "I guess this *is* the place then," he added as he stood up. Akane could only make a small sound through her nose in reply. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== The small cabin that the Chinese guide usually resided in stood cold, dark and empty, almost as if abandoned. "There's no one here?" Akane asked, as she looked around after dropping her pack on the floor. Ranma was stacking some wood in the fireplace in preparation for lighting it. "No one except us," he commented, touching a match to the tinder. Akane stood in the open doorway, and stared at the pools, transfixed by the very presence of those springs. [Ranma, Mr. Saotome, Shampoo, and Mousse have all being here, and fallen into these springs. Are they such good training grounds? What about Ryoga-kun? Has he been here too?] "It's a pity the guide isn't here," Ranma said, breaking into Akane's thoughts as he slowly built the fire up. "I'd like to know what all the other springs are." "Didn't you find out last time you were here?" She asked, closing the door so the warmth wouldn't escape. "I was so busy chasing Pops after the accident, I guess we didn't have much time to listen to the Guide. We were so focused on our problems, that we forgot all about the other springs." Ranma could hear Akane searching through the things in the cabin. He looked up when he heard the metallic clatter of an empty kettle on the table. He could only look at it, feeling a lifetime of agony waiting to be swept away, with so many memories, some good and some bad. [So many problems come from this place.] "Well?" Akane asked, frowning at his lack of enthusiasm. "Aren't you going to do it now?" He nodded slowly, knowing there was no point putting it off. He thought it odd, as he picked up the kettle, heading outside towards the springs. This curse of his had become useful. There had being so many situations where changing gender had saved his life, though when he thought about it, many a time that life had being put in danger because of the curse, or in seeking a cure for the curse. Akane looked on as Ranma looked at the springs, seeking the Nyanneechuan. She didn't want to interrupt him, but she didn't want him cursing himself accidentally with something else... "Are you sure you know which one it is?" [I'm sure,] he said to himself, nodding in reply. [I can never forget where it was.] It wasn't as if he weren't sure which one it was, it was more like he was taking his time. He looked up at the bamboo poles, almost reliving the moment when Genma had flown out of the Shonmaoneechuan to subsequently knock him into the water below. Ranma stopped at the edge of the spring, the very spring he'd fallen into what seemed like so long ago. He looked into the water's of the Nyanneechuan, and stared at it, almost daring it to stop him from taking the water he was about to scoop out. Except for the small ripples cause by a light breeze, the spring was calm. The only sound to break the silence was the sound of water filling a kettle, as Ranma carefully leaned over the spring. Akane watched, as he stood up kettle in hand, and walked slowly back to the cabin with an expressionless face. She followed, wondering what could be going through his mind right now. The cabin having warmed up enough now, they hung their coats up by the door before crouching in front of the fire to watch a particular battered and scratched kettle as it heated up. To Ranma, it seemed like ages, watching and waiting for the water to come to a boil, then wait for another 5 minutes as it vented steam from the top. Wordlessly, he took it off the fire, and settled it on the floor for a moment. Akane could only watch anxiously, unsure about the entire process. The entire journey, initiated by one stranger, lead down to this one moment. [Now's the time,] Ranma thought to himself grimly. "You'd better stand back Akane-chan, I don't want you getting splashed." Akane nodded understanding, and moved all the way back, until she felt the wall against her back. At one point in time, she'd wondered vaguely what it would be like to turn into a boy, wondering if it would solve some of her problems. There was a Nanniichuan here, a spring of drowned man that would do just that, turn her into a boy. She shook her head, dismissing the thought as absurd, as she considered Ranma's predicament, and all the complications that have arisen because of it. It wasn't a burden she wanted to take on. Ranma looked to Akane with a cocky grin on his face. "A full man finally," he said, before upending the kettle of boiling water over his head. He'd known the water was hot, but nothing had prepared him for the searing pain that started at the top of his head and slowly clawed down his face and work it's way down his body all the way to his feet. Ranma could only grit his teeth to stop from screaming out as the kettle clattered to the floor empty, hoping that this would work. For a moment, Akane saw nothing except Ranma standing there in apparent agony. Then Ranma's features seemed to flash a moment. For a split second an onna-Ranma stood there with her red hair, then back again to otoko-Ranma. The expression on his face never changed, as he changed back again, flickering as if some kept changing the channel on a TV set back and forth, onna-Ranma then otoko-Ranma, the back, then forth. Akane would blink for a moment, and she would become a he. The flickering grew faster still, until Akane could no longer see two people, but only a constant blur that held no distinct shape of either onna-Ranma or otoko-Ranma. Akane had one bad thought suddenly run though her mind. [Oh no. What if his boy and girl forms merge into one body?] She held an image in her mind of otoko-Ranma with breasts, screaming in frustration. She could only stand and watch, until an explosion rent the inside of the cabin, sending two objects in different directions, hitting opposite walls. Akane let go of the breath she hadn't known she was holding, and looked at the empty spot Ranma had being standing in. Slowly she walked forward, remembering seeing two blurs shooting in opposite directions. She looked one way then the other. On the floor, around the corner of the table, she caught sight of Ranma -kun's placid face appearing to be unconscious. Akane looked the other way, and saw Ranma's trousers and feet sticking out over the pile of wood, appearing to twitch by their self. "Ranma!" She screamed. [My god, he's being torn in half!] She thought, before slumping to the floor in a faint. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Ranma groaned, lifting himself up onto an elbow from the dirty cold floor. He felt a little colder than normal, and looked down to find his pants missing. It was a little strange, yet he could clearly see his exposed manhood. He let out a breath, but checked his chest too, just in case, but he proved to be man from top to bottom and completely intact. He felt his face for the pain he'd felt after pouring the boiling water over himself, but it was gone. [I guess everything's alright,] he thought. [But am I cured?] Slowly Ranma climbed to his feet. The first he noticed was Akane lying motionless on the floor, facing away from him. He started to approach, but remembered his half nakedness, and decided not to venture too close. [Akane would have a fit and punch me into orbit, and I'd probably land in another spring. Better look for those pants first.] He didn't wonder how the pants went missing in the first place, as he started looking on the floor around him. Looking under the table, Ranma heard a moan. He turned to look at Akane, but instead the moan arose from the woodpile at the other end of the cabin, where a set of feet could be seen sticking out. [Who's that?] Ranma asked himself, totally blank. The feet disappeared as the figure behind the woodpile made some noise as they struggled to climb to their feet on the unstable pile. Over the edge of the wood, Ranma watched almost in slow motion as a head of red hair rose from behind the wood, followed by a very familiar face. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Onna-Ranma groaned in frustration. That fact that her shirt was missing somewhere did not concern her at the moment. It was the two well formed breasts that she could see plain and clearly in the slightly chill air of the cabin. [The cure didn't work,] she thought as she shook her head. Holding her pigtail out to the side, she could see the red colour of it in her peripheral vision. She rolled off the wood, to stand up as she tried to remember if she'd down something wrong. [I'm sure it was the right spring.] Standing up, something caught her attention on the other side of the woodpile. Her mouth dropped open, as she saw herself, or rather himself standing there staring back. Both the Ranma's could only look at one another with shocked expressions on their faces, and let out a simultaneous scream. End Chapter 1 ______________________________________________________________________ Author's Notes: Okay, Kaneda Shotaro. If you don't know who he is, I won't tell you. He's from another Manga/Anime. Though I hadn't intended this to be a crossover, so you'll just have to be satisfied with my explanation of his 'appearance' as being a cameo. Hopefully he'll come back again to explain a few things for us, before he leaves for good. One thing I hoped to do with this story, is actually maintain the continuity of the 'Ranma' universe, its laws of physics and whatnot. So I have no intention of creating or destroying what people are familiar with at pleasure (though I'd love to), unless it is required to keep the story going (this is a reference to the Instant Nanniichuan Powder). Unfortunately I've also had to twist around the time continuum to make winter come early. Fortunately I've never seen any clear sense of calendar progression in the series so far, so you'll just have to put up with whatever season I drop on the story. I've avoided Shampoo, Ryoga and Mousse for now, which is best explained as it would totally freak the story if we had P-Chan *and* Ryoga running about lost. That's why another cursed character (other than the one's we or I knew) was required to start the story off. The old guys had to be out of the way of course, so Akane and Ranma could be alone , though what happens from there is anyone's imagination (hey, keep it clean!) And the only person to do that is Happosai. Whether their intention is to re-live happy moments, or bury him again, time can only tell. This is actually the second rewrite of this chapter. Not much has changed, except expanding on the story, and introducing a lot of elements and explaining everything that should have being explained in the first place. But it did get to what I was driving for, creating this unique situation, the splitting of Ranma into two. Now he really is half himself... err herself, umm, well, you get the idea. Ranma what we once knew of, is split into two complete entities, one being in the body of the original un-cursed otoko-Ranma (oops, shouldn't have mentioned that spoiler), and the other in the onna-Ranko (the red-head girl) form. One will be happy that he is a complete man again... thus he can face his mother without any problem (except maybe the panda). The other will be trapped in a female form, forever having thought himself a boy (another spoiler), but having that shattered by this... so called cure. As for explaining the splitting (the effect, not the process). It's my thought that they are complete entities. Each Ranma is the same as he was before (another words, he/she don't have half strength), it's Ranma x 2. Name of the second Chapter? Next Chapter (read with a cute girl voice): What can two Ranma's get up to? What can two Ranma's get up to together (ooh, that's lemon material)? What will other people think? What will his fiancées think? What will Akane say when she wakes up? When will Akane actually wake up? Maybe she'll fall into a spring? All this and more in the next exciting episode of "A cure for the curse". BTW: If you have a more exciting title, then tell me. I'll have to consider it though, as there is a larger plot to consider. Please send me C&C!! And direct them to BillGates(at)Micro..., er.. to the address at the top. Flame me, and I'll sick my legion of un-dead RPG game characters on you. Bwah hah hah hah... er... well... I sort of missed my megalomaniac laugh. ______________________________________________________________________ Ranma 1/2: A cure for the curse - Chapter 2 A Mid-Space production fanfic Posted at: midspace dot com slash fanfic ______________________________________________________________________ Standard Disclaimer: This is my work, but not my characters... blah blah. You get the point. See the Prologue for more. ______________________________________________________________________ Chapter 2 - Ranma x 2 Both the Ranma's could only look at one another with shocked expressions on their faces, and let out a simultaneous scream. The room reverberated with both voices, until they overcame their shock and pulled their mouths closed. But that couldn't keep Ranma from staring at Ranma. [Mirror?] They both thought at once, and then shook their heads in unison. They both noted the gesture, and frowned in contemplation. Neither could understand why the other was copying their gestures exactly. "You're real?" they asked each other in unison, and then answered back in mock anger. "Of course I am!" "Then why are you a guy?" Onna-Ranma asked as the other said, "Then why are you a girl?" Both of them sighed. "It feels like I'm arguing with myself," they said in unison. "Something bad must have happened." Both sets of eyes drifted down, catching sight of the other's unclothed attributes. It wasn't that they hadn't seen them before, but they hadn't quite seen them from that angle. They both broke their focus, when they remembered that they were missing clothes themselves, and needed to cover up. "Some spare clothes..." one started as the other finished the sentence "...in the pack." Almost in unison, they moved towards the pack, bumping one another to open it. [We keep doing the same thing,] they thought, glancing at one another. Using one hand each, they dragged out the spare change of clothes. Onna-Ranma pulled on the familiar red shirt as otoko-Ranma slipped into some boxer shorts and black pants. Their modesty covered now, they both turned to consider the room. Akane still lay on the floor unconscious, whilst an upturned kettle lay in a small pool of water on the floor. [That's was the kettle with the cursed water,] they thought, as the pool of water was slowly creeping towards Akane's limp form. "Akane!" they both yelled at once, as they leapt to her side and pulled her out of the way. "I think I should..." Onna-Ranma spoke up. She hesitated when she realised she was speaking by herself for the first time. It took her a moment to remember what she was saying. "... I should clear the water away since..." "... You're already in the cursed form," otoko-Ranma finished the sentence without thinking. Onna-Ranma grimaced at the comment of being cursed, but nodded in reply. He reprimanded himself. [Baka! What are you thinking?] He looked at Akane's prostate form. [Akane of course. Focus first.] Picking her gently up, he carried Akane carefully over to a chair at the end of the table, and seated her down while onna-Ranma found some old papers to soak up the Jusenkyo water with. She tossed the papers onto the fire where they smouldered for a while before burning up in the heat. There was a fresh supply of rainwater in a barrel, with which otoko-Ranma refilled a kettle with and splashed her lightly on the face to wake her. Otoko-Ranma moved around to join onna-Ranma at the other end of the table as Akane jerked upright. Rather than find herself staring at a ceiling Akane found herself sitting at a table. She looked around, trying to remember what had happened, when her eyes settled on Ranma. And then she blink-blinked. She rubbed her head with a hand. [I must have knocked my head a little harder than I thought; I'm seeing two Ranma's...] She rubbed both her eyes, and looked again, still seeing two Ranma's. Akane looked from the tall, well-muscled boy to the red haired girl whose amply built bust was easily discernible compared to the boy. As they both wore exactly the same clothes, she had to look from one to the other several times, to make sure she was looking at a different person. [Ranma and... onna-Ranma?] Her mouth dropped open as realisation hit her. "Ranma!?" "Yes Akane-chan?" They both answered at once. Akane could hear both voices clearly, the high alto of onna-Ranma along with the deeper voice of otoko-Ranma, but they ran together, perfectly synchronised. "What happened?" She screamed out. "I..." they both started in unison, then looked at one another. "We don't know." "What do you mean you don't know?" She demanded. They spoke in unison. "After I poured the water over myself, the curse..." Both of them faltered, looking at one another as they sought the right words. "It felt as if something was tearing my insides apart. The last thing I remember was something throwing me across the room, and I woke up over there." Both Ranma's pointed in opposite directions. The last memory Akane had before she fainted suddenly came to her mind, and she gasped. [He *was* torn apart!] Her shock turned to nausea as she groaned and held her face to her hand. [And now there are two of them.] "Akane-chan?" They both asked, coming towards her on either side of the table. "Stop!" She yelled, looking up to see that look on both of their faces, the one that feared the Low Orbit Catapult Mechanism that was also known as her fist. "Would you both stop talking at once, it's hurting my head." "Okay," they said together, and then a sheepish smile appeared on both their faces. Akane shook her head, actually feeling the throbbing in her temples. "Just sit down," she mumbled, hoping they'd at least do that. They each took a seat opposite one another, looking at each other's faces. [It's just like a mirror,] they couldn't help but think. Akane had seen all sorts of weird stuff since Ranma had entered her life. People turning into animals, a ghost cat, teachers that suck out battle auras. This really seemed to be the icing on the otherwise totally nutty fruitcake that happened to be her existence. "It's so strange," she started to say. "Have you ever..." she trailed off, unsure about the entire situation. "This isn't helping," both Ranma's said. "Well, what do you want to do about it?" She asked them both. "This isn't a tournament. There's no one here to defeat and win back your body... your single body, is there?" Both of them shook their heads. "And that Kaneda Shotaro, shouldn't he have know about this?" Both Ranma's stared across at one another over the table, only partially listening to Akane as they thought deeply about their problem. Akane crossed her arms with a frown on her face. [They're like two kids.] "Are you two even listening?" "It's..." they both began together, and then hesitated. "Real..." one said. "Bad." The other finished. "Damnit" Akane yelled. Akane thumped the table with her fists, causing one of the thick planks to crack in the centre, right where the kettle filled with water rested. As her hand went down, the centre came up, causing the kettle to spray water all over both Ranma's. Both of them sat there blinking water out of their eyes, unchanged. "Oh Ranma!" Akane exclaimed. "You're cured!" The two Ranma's looked to one another first before turning back to Akane. "Akane-chan," onna-Ranma spoke up by herself. "That was cold water. *I*... might still be cursed," she said, putting a lot of emphasis on "I". [She could be right.] Otoko-Ranma stared at his other half for a moment, concern written on his face, until she suddenly turned to look back at him with a frown. There was a large number of water carrying items littered around the cabin designed for heating, perhaps because the Chinese guide was used to dealing with travellers who inevitably fell into one of the cursed springs. A couple were hanging over the fire, already hot from their long duration hanging there. "One way to find out!" Akane yelled, interrupting the odd stares between the two Ranma's as she jumped out of her seat, grabbing one of the kettles from the fire, and all but threw it at both the Ranma's. Otoko-Ranma leaned out of the way as it sailed past his head, where onna-Ranma caught the kettle expertly by the handle. "Warm water, not boiling!" She yelled back at Akane. She waited for the water to cool a bit, as the other two watched on in anticipation. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== It might be said that Nabiki Tendo was up in her room relaxing. The fact that she was wearing her cut off shorts and tank top, leaning over her desk in a relaxed position. Any normal person would have thought she was unwinding after a busy day at school. But if any person said that, then they didn't know Nabiki Tendo very well. She sat at her desk, both elbows planted against the hard surface, with a pencil in her mouth, which she idly turned about, pointing in different directions as pouring over her account books, examining the running costs of the Dojo and the household for the month. [Hmmm, a little short,] she was considering, even though Genma Saotome and her father had been gone for two weeks, whilst Ranma and Akane had been gone only one. There were the usual factors due to weekly damage done to the Dojo, and the food, but the excess incurred came from the travelling money her father had taken with him, and the bribes she had had to pay to get a berth on a ship for Ranma and her little sister. [The Chinese Government Officials must charge a fortune,] she thought at the amount she was forced to pay to, even after haggling her best to get the cost dropped. She took a breath through her nose as she considered the planned expenditures for the month. [If we want a Christmas party this year, I may have break open the emergency funds.] Though Nabiki knew the costs well enough, she also knew she couldn't cancel the family Christmas party. It just wasn't right, and it tended to make more money than it cost, though it took a considerable amount of effort and Yen to get the party set up. [I guess I'll just have to milk Ranma a little harder to recoup the money when he comes back.] She closed the books and leaned back on her chair, the pencil making circles in the air. Nabiki thought about picking through the guest room that Happosai used when he was around. [Not even selling Happosai's collection of underwear will be enough to offset this debt,] she thought with a sigh. [I've waited a week Ranma; I hope that's enough for you.] She considered her last option. Just before Ranma and Akane had left for docks, Ranma had pulled her aside and told her... "Look Nabiki, I know you're going to sell this information to Shampoo or Ryoga. There's nothing wrong with that." She'd seen Ranma trying to repress a smile. "I'm asking you to try not to tell them too soon. We need enough time to get to the springs. Just a week, that's all I'm asking." She thought he'd finished, but he said one more thing. "If you mention China to them, they'll know I've gone there for a cure. Just make sure that whatever you charge them, you at least get 20,000 for the information on China. Any information relating to the Jusenkyo cure itself is worth at least five times that. It's nothing you should give away freely." Nabiki couldn't help but grin at the memory. Whatever Ranma was, he wasn't stupid. She had no intention of giving away that small piece of information, not without the parting of a lot of Yen. [The only thing I need now, is someone to sell it too...] Outside, the front gate could be heard opening and closing, then a familiar voice was heard crying out. "Ranma, prepare to die!" Nabiki put the slightly chewed pencil away and got up from her chair at the sound of the challenge that most of Nerima must have heard. [Sometimes that boy has the most amazing timing.] ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Ryoga Hibiki stood in the Tendo yard with his pack and umbrella on his back, staring at the house waiting for an answer to his challenge. "Ranma!" He yelled again. Ryoga looked around the yard, expecting Ranma to pop out from somewhere, but the only sound heard, was that of a splash as a fish jumped into the air and landed back in the pond. Ryoga eyed the pond, but saw no threat from that direction. The sound of the front door opening caught his attention. [Akane?] Nabiki stepped out of the doorway, and looked upon Ryoga standing there with a slightly glazed expression. He shook his head violently as if clearing it of something. "He's not here Ryoga-kun," Nabiki said a little seductively as she leaned back in the doorframe, accenting her physical features. Ryoga eyed her as much as he would a snake or any other dangerous creature, unimpressed and unmoved by the lack of physical threat. Nabiki sighed inwardly. [He's only got eyes for imouto. Maybe I need a different tack with him.] "Ranma's not here," she said, peeling herself from the doorway. "He's run away again, and before I can challenge him," Ryoga said, eyeing the yard speculatively as if expecting his rival to be hiding somewhere, ready to jump out at him. "Akane and Ranma have gone on a training trip together," Nabiki said, approaching the boy. "A... Akane?" He stumbled. Nabiki hid her smirk, as the eternally lost boy, now became just as lost in his thoughts. She held a closed hand to her mouth as she coughed lightly, bringing the boy back again. "You'd like to know where they've gone, don't you?" She asked. Ryoga nodded over-enthusiastically and waited for a reply. It was eerily quiet, until he looked down at to find an open hand. "40,000 Yen," she said without any further explanation. He coughed at the high price, wondering for the first time if it was worth it to chase after Ranma. [But for Akane, I'll do anything,] he thought, as his resolve suddenly solidified. Nabiki had to step back as he pulled the pack of his shoulders and planted it on the ground with a heavy thud. After rummaging around inside it for a moment, he pulled out a hand full of money. Most of it was Japanese Yen, but there was flash of colour of another currency from other countries. [Chinese Yuan Renminbi, Taiwanese New Dollars, even some Vietnamese Dong in there,] Nabiki thought to herself as Ryoga flicked through the money, separating out the larger denominations of Yen. [Where has this boy been, and how did he get so much money?] Nabiki kept her face the normal cold mask she always wore, as she considered this. She only stopped, when she felt the bulky weight of 40,000 Yen placed into her hand, which she suddenly felt required a second hand to hold all the money, lest a small breeze try to take it from her. With precision, she flicked through the money, adding in her head, coming out to the full 40,000 Yen. [And Ranma wanted 20,000. I suppose he thought he might be able to get out of his debt for the berth on the ship. But then...] She eyed the remaining money that Ryoga stuffed back into his pack with a pang of regret. [There's always Shampoo or Ukyo I suppose.] She let out a small breath before speaking. "Ranma and Akane went to China a week ago, on a ship. They're returning to Jusenkyo with the instructions for a cure." "A cure?" Ryoga's mouth dropped open. Before she could offer the information to Ryoga for another sum, which surly would have bankrupted the boy, he picked up his pack and ran for the nearest wall, causing it to explode in dust and debris. When it finally cleared, Ryoga was gone, and only a hole remained. "That'll have to go on next weeks repair bill," she said to no one in particular. [I'm beginning to think that maybe we should buy our own building and repair firm. We could save on the costs for repairing the Dojo every time, and remove the Tax burden.] She eventually looked down at the stack of money in her hands, a small grin coming onto her otherwise placid face. [Now, for Shampoo before Ranma comes back, and makes the information worthless.] ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Across the other side of Nerima, in the Nekohanten came the crash of crockery and the clatter of chopsticks across the floor. Cologne came hopping out from the back of the restaurant on her gnarled wooden stick, to see what had happened. "What happened out here Shampoo?" She asked, looking at the girl bending over in her short dress to clean up the mess on the floor. [If Son-in-law was here now...] she thought. Shampoo stood up, with an armful of broken bowls. "Shampoo suddenly sneeze and drop everything she holding great-grandmother," the purple haired girl replied. "What were you thinking about at the time Shampoo?" Cologne asked. Shampoo paused for a moment in her cleaning to think about it. "Shampoo wondering where Airen is. Have not seen him for a week." [The girl senses something that I haven't. Someone talking about Shampoo and Son-in-law perhaps.] Cologne glided back into the kitchen on her stick, and prepared to open the restaurant, ready for the dinner crowd. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Ryoga looked around, trying to find a familiar landmark. [How am I going to find China at this rate? I'm still on Honshu, but where?] He knew that he still on the main island, because he hadn't found the ocean yet. [This has got to be the way to the ocean,] he thought as he turned down a street, feeling a vague sense of familiarity, but what Ryoga didn't know, was that a lot of the narrow streets in Tokyo all had a similar appearance. After turning another corner, he stopped and punched a hole in a nearby wall in frustration, sending plumes of dust over the road. [I can't get to China unless I find the ocean! Maybe I can ask someone...] He looked around furtively, spotting two cute schoolgirls who were standing a little further up the street. They wore no uniform that he could recognise, made up of a tan vest over a white shirt with a short tan skirt. They seemed to be having some sort of argument as he approached. "Mica, you know the Commander said not to hurt any Protozoan life forms." "What do you mean?" "They way you keep teasing Akai. One day you're going to end up hurting him, and I won't be held responsible." "I don't tease him," the red head responded flatly. "I've seen the way you act around him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had a crush on him." "A crush?" Ryoga stopped in his tracks as the red haired girl jammed her foot down on that of the green haired girl, eliciting a crushing sound, except it wasn't the girl's foot. A small crater formed in the roadway under both their feet. "You mean this sort of crush Mica?" "Ouch," Mica said with a flat expression. "That hurt you know." Mew looked down to see her foot was now squashed under her friend's. "That wasn't called for." "I... I... I..." Ryoga's mouth jammed up and stopped walking as he watched the to girls turn the roadway into fine dust under their combined feet. [Who the hell are those girls? Where the hell am I?] Ryoga turned about looking for an escape, when one of the girls drove her foot down a little harder, cracking a water main running under the street. Water burst up, spraying out in all directions. The transformation was so rapid that Ryoga didn't know until it was too late, leaving some empty clothes, a pack with an untouched umbrella and a small black piglet standing drenched on the roadway. P-Chan looked around to see the resultant fountain of water covering the scene where the two girls still stood, a little wet with the water spraying out from underneath their feet, except they were staring towards him now. "Mica, did you just see the guy..." "Turn into small pig? Yeah." "Bwwwweeeeee!" P-Chan squealed as the two apparent monsters disguised as cute schoolgirls advanced upon him. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== "No, no!" Onna-Ranma screamed. She ran to the fire, and ripped another kettle from the flames and dumped its still boiling contents over her head, screaming all the while. She'd ripped her shirt open after the first kettle, laying her chest exposed, but there was no change. Otoko-Ranma could only sit there, feeling a chill crawl down his spine as he watched his other half. He heard thoughts in his head, thought's not quite his own. {I can't be a girl, I can't be... this has to be a dream, yeah a dream. That's right. I'm dreaming...} Akane and otoko-Ranma winced as she screamed again pouring more hot water over herself. Akane's earlier anger disappeared as onna-Ranma slumped to the floor on her knees, the kettle slipping from her fingers, forgotten. "This isn't a dream, it's a nightmare. I can't be... I can't be stuck as a girl," onna-Ranma started talking to herself. "I'm a guy, I'm a guy... this is just one big nightmare. Yeah... yeah, this is one big nightmare, and I'm going to wake up real soon. It's just a nightmare..." Akane came over and knelt beside her. She hesitated a moment, remembering all the times she'd gotten close to Ranma. [But this is different,] she told herself forcefully. Carefully, she wrapped an arm around Ranma. Otoko-Ranma felt the presence and looked up. Her eyes met Akane for a moment, but drifted to the figure still seated behind her. Otoko-Ranma could only stare back with a disturbed look on his face. [That face... that face... it's me!] "No!!! This can't be real!" She jumped out of Akane's grasp and levelled an accusing finger at otoko-Ranma. [What'd I do now?] He suddenly thought, almost expecting the short red head to rip the nearby table from the floor and pound him with it. "It's all your fault!" She said. He could only stare back in confusion. "You took my body, and I want it back!" She said, clenching a fist and waving it at him in a threatening manner. His anger took the better of him. "What do ya mean your body?" He shot back, jumping to his feet also. "Yeah my body. You took it you hiretsukan thief." Her words got under his skin. "Ranma!" Akane called out, watching him crack his knuckles in preparation to pummel his opponent. Otoko-Ranma had heard her, but already his mind was working. [I can't hit her. She's... she's... she's me!] He slumped his shoulders. "What's wrong? Giving up? You finally realised I'm right?" Onna -Ranma's face twisted into a grin, right before she lunged at him. Otoko-Ranma hadn't expected it, but he saw the twitch of her muscles right before she leapt, bringing up a defence in time to soften the initial blow. Akane could only watch as the two equally matched martial artists took to one another. Onna-Ranma came at him, aiming a punch for his face. [He can't wear that face. No one can wear that face but me!] She thought grimly as she tried to rip his face off. Otoko-Ranma was already on the defensive, blocking her fist as he tried to twist her off side. She slipped his hold, dropping to the floor to sweep him off his feet. Bouncing back up off his hands, he landed ready but found his opponent missing. The nearby table was the first casualty as otoko-Ranma was hit in the back, knocking him through it and reducing the table to kindling. He had little time to resume his defence as she came at him screaming. In his heart, otoko-Ranma knew he was losing this fight. He hadn't wanted to fight himself, which was why he had being on the defence from the start, but it wasn't getting anywhere. He needed to re-take control of this battle, and her anger was a weakness to exploit. He jumped through the air, barely missing the ceiling as he brought his feet down towards onna-Ranma. She saw the move of course. [Too easy] She stepped back to counter strike, punching up at his unprotected stomach as he descended. [She fell for it.] Subtle use of his ki as he swung his arms to one side, he cart wheeled in mid air, catching onna-Ranma by surprise and latching both legs around her chest. Using the momentum of her thrust, they flipped around and dropped to the floor with him on top. The air rushed out of her chest as she fought to remain conscious. [That was... I should have seen that coming.] She winced in pain as he climbed off her, wiping sweat from his forehead. "You want to keep going?" He asked her. "Ranma!" Akane yelled, finally seeing an opportunity to stop the fighting. Onna-Ranma ignored her as she climbed to her feet straighten her pigtail. Her eyes narrowed as she contemplated her opponent. "That'll be the last time you do that," she said, her battle aura starting to glow as she took an offensive stance. [She's got control of her anger again,] he mused. [Does she really believe she can take me?] There was no time to consider anything else as the glowing girl came at him. Akane could only watch as they went back and forth across the room, fists and feet flying, until one wall exploded out. She covered her face as wood chips and dust billowed through the room. Waving her hands about, she was able to clear some of the air, finding a man sized hole in one wall, with the fight still going strong outside, except that otoko-Ranma seemed to be slowly giving ground to the determined red head. [What's he doing?] Akane thought, as otoko-Ranma continued to stay on the defensive. "Stay still!" Onna-Ranma called briefly before yelling "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken" and launching into a furious assault. Akane continued following the action. [She's fast. Maybe a little too fast.] She watched otoko-Ranma leap into the air to avoid the barrage of fists, but onna-Ranma was right behind him. Before he knew it, she'd leapt high above him, leading with a foot she came down at him from the bright sky. "Ranma, watch out!" Akane yelled. He felt the danger before he heard the warning, twisting out of the way of the strike that could have crippled, finding instead that he had to defend himself once again from the fusillade of punches. "Give me back my body!" Onna-Ranma continued to berate him as they moved again over the ground, kicking up dirty snow as she attempted a leg sweep. "You have no right!" [She's been driven by her anger,] otoko-Ranma told himself. [If this were Ryoga, it'd be over by now. But she's me. I don't want to fight her. I shouldn't have to fight her.] He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed her call for the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken again. [It's too close... I'll have to match her.] "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" He yelled, his hands blurring in time to hers, not to hit her, but rather to block each of her moves, their impacting hands sounding like a jack hammers. "Stop *blocking* me!" Onna-Ranma screaming in frustration, finding each of her strikes thwarted effectively. Eventually she stepped back halting her attack, finding her opponent mirroring her exactly. Her breath came ragged as she contemplated her situation. [400, no 500, argh! I've lost count!] She looked at her hands, finding them red and sore from the evenly matched assault. [I can't continue like this, it's wearing me down. I need to gain an advantage.] Off to the side, her eyes caught sight of the Jusenkyo springs, and a grin came to her face. Otoko-Ranma saw the glance towards the training ground. [Please no,] he thought, but it was too late as onna-Ranma took off, leaping into the air, springing from pole to pole as if she were born to it. "Ranma!" Akane yelled, as she watched first one, and then the other Ranma take to the poles. [Ranma no baka,] she thought to herself, though it wasn't directed either Ranma in particular. She had a worried expression, as she ran towards the springs. [What am I going to do if you fall in again?] They danced across the poles above the springs, like moths around a flame, tempting a fate possibly worse than death in a flame. Jumping at each other, they would meet mid air for a few seconds, a blur of hands and feet, before returning to another set of poles, landing awkwardly until they regained their balance and launched themselves at each other again. Each time, the equally matched forces of the two Ranma's met, their identical battle auras would collide with devastating force. From her unique position on the ground as she hurried between the springs to follow the action, Akane was the first to notice the destructive effects of the two fighters as they collided again. She was surprised to see several of the bamboo poles suddenly explode underneath the two fighters. [This isn't good,] she thought as a wave of energy shook the air around her. She looked up as the two fighters split off, finding new platforms to land on. Neither of the two Ranma's noticed Akane below them, and neither did they consciously notice the depletion of the bamboo poles. Their eyes were only on one another, their opponent, someone worthy of their skill and power of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. They leapt once more at the air, seeking to dislodge the other from the skies, their battle auras glowing brightly and the ki focused as they clashed. Akane screamed loudly when the shockwave hit her, picking her up physically and throwing her violently through the air. It was the scream that broke their concentration, striking deep where their blows hadn't. They involuntarily pushed away from one another, falling towards the solid ground between the springs as they looked towards the tumbling form. "Akane!" They both yelled. By luck, otoko-Ranma was closer to the ground and landed first, but was off again before onna-Ranma could move. He was a blur, pushing with every ounce of his ki as he flew forward, leaving deep impressions in the ground where his feet had touched down. He could see her trajectory clearly, as where she would fall, lay a spring that held unknown tragedies. [No, you can't fall in! I won't let you fall in Akane...] But it already looked to be too late. He suddenly made up his mind as he put everything he had into one last jump. [...Even if it means getting cursed again,] he finished the thought. The last jump was enough to get him to her before she hit the spring, allowing him to push her out of the way towards solid ground, but it didn't leave him with enough momentum to save himself from falling in. He had one final view of the glittering surface of the water when something hard hit him in the back. The water disappeared from view to be replaced by the ground, which he found his face suddenly buried in. Akane stood up and looked around. Otoko-Ranma was digging his face out of the ground to her right, but onna-Ranma was gone. All that was left was a ripple on the surface of a nearby spring. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== QUICK NOTE: You have no idea how much I wanted to just leave a cliff-hanger ending here! Hehehe. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== A thought ran through her head not quite her own. {...Even if it means getting cursed again.} [You fool.] She hadn't really thought it through when she jumped after otoko-Ranma, but for some reason she knew instinctively that he wouldn't make it. Right after her foot had left the ground, there had been the fleeting thought that maybe she was just being selfish in trying to keep the only real form of her body safe so she could reclaim it later. But her decision has already been made, as she struck the descending boy just above the unknown spring, leaving him with just enough lift to clear the edge of the water, but forcing herself down into its depths. A sense of Deja-vu came over her as the waters of the spring washed over her body, leaving a sense of dread run through mind. [What if I drown in here? Will I just become another tragic legend for the guide to talk about? No I don't want to lose!] Finding it suddenly constraining she was only able to thrash weakly about in the water as she felt herself struggling to remain conscious. A memory washed through her mind, of herself falling into the spring, struggling to escape the confining waters. [This must be what it's like to die, to have your life flash before your eyes. I'm remembering what happened the last time I fell in a spring.] The memory seemed to repeat itself a second time, but it was different somehow. She could see the brightness of the surface overhead, slowly getting darker as she dropped into the unknown depths of the spring. First she saw her old hands in front of her, and then another memory of some hands that looked just like her own now, flailing about in the watery depths, futility grasping for anything to save her. {It's not the depths,} she thought she told herself. {I was dying.} She heard the voice in her head. [Is this a memory too?] She was slowly suffocating as the life left her body and the darkness swallowed her. {And then I died,} came the thought. [I died?] Ranma's mind turned. [No! I don't what to die yet. I... want just one more chance.] {One more chance to fix things,} a voice said. She turned about, suddenly finding the surface the water ahead of her, it brightness beckoning her onward, so she pushed. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== "Ranma!" Akane called, as she ran the edge of the spring. She looked down but couldn't see anything in the dark depths. "Akane?" Otoko-Ranma brushed the dirt from his face, to find what she was looking at. [She didn't, did she?] Several bubble escaped the surface. "By Kami-sama, she did do it," he exclaimed. "Ranma, we've got to rescue her." Akane reached forward towards the water, but a hand stopped her. "You can't touch the water Akane, unless you want to be cursed also," he said. Her eyes held concern. "What if she drowns?" He shook his head. "We can't do anything." [How long has she been under already? She might well be drowning. If she drowns though, then this'll be all over.] Ranma tried to block out the guilty thought. [But I can't do anything, can I?] He looked around, for something, anything to help, but the training grounds were bare of anything save the bamboo poles lodged into the springs, and he knew he couldn't pull one of those out without dragging himself through a spring. Something looked familiar, as Ranma turned left then right, looking around the spring. He had a vivid flashback, of that day he'd first arrived at Jusenkyo, of the Nyanneechuan he'd climbed out of, and then returned to again a short while ago to collect its water. [This is... it's the...] "Akane, this is the Nyanneechuan!" "What?" There was a splashing sound. They both turned to see a head of red hair broach the surface, gasping for air. They could only stand back and watch as the almost drowned girl climbed from the spring. She bent over and spat up water and coughing to clear her lungs. "Heh, ha, haaaa." Finally she let out a clear breath that didn't burble or bring up water. "I made it." "Ranma?" Akane called. Slowly she looked up from the ground, to find two faces staring at her with something akin to surprise. Realisation dawned upon her slowly. [I fell into a spring... but I saved Ran... I saved the true form. And now... now I'm cursed again.] "What..." She started, unsure if her mouth was working. "What did I turn into?" The two staring back at her didn't reply. "Am I so horrible?" "No..." Akane said. Otoko-Ranma broke into a smile. All of a sudden he just couldn't keep it in, and burst out laughing. Akane looked from the girl to him, and could see the funny side also as she joined in laughing. "What!" The girl asked, then growled. "What's so funny?" Otoko-Ranma's laughter subsided first. "You..." He snorted briefly. "You haven't changed!" He burst out laughing again. "I what?" She yelled, as she hadn't quite heard it over Akane's laughter. "You haven't changed!" Otoko-Ranma yelled back. "You fell into the Nyanneechuan you fool!" Dripping water still, onna-Ranma looked around, seeing the recognisable spring, its edges. [No wonder it seemed so familiar,] she considered. [That's the second time...] It didn't seem quite right. There was something on the edge of her consciousness, a memory that seemed to say that this wasn't her second time here. That it wasn't the second time she'd fallen into one of these springs. She shook the feeling off as she stared at the laughing pair. [I can see why it's so funny, falling into the same spring...] She left off the thought as the contagiousness of the laughter finally caught her, and she was forced to laugh too. ==={ @~>~~~ }=== A calm night settled over the Jusenkyo training grounds, the sky clearing of clouds, as the stars slowly came one by one, turning the sky into a blanket of sparkling dots. Otoko-Ranma was outside the cabin in his coat, finding the beauty distracting and the cold unbearable as he worked on making repairs to the wall they'd broken during the fight. Akane had thrown a hammer at him. "You busted it, so you're going to fix it!" Akane had yelled at him, before stomping back inside. "Un-cute tomboy," he mumbled as he dislodged the hammer from his face. "I heard that," Akane's voice screamed back. "Just for that, you can't come in for food until you're finished!" He'd thought she was finished, but following her last words were several planks of wood she just happen to find lying about. He ducked and dodged the airborne missiles, then set about collecting the wood before setting to work on the repairs. Seeing onna-Ranma still seated in front of the fire from her soaking in the spring, wearing just her boxer shorts and a towel draped over her shoulders to hide her modesty as her clothes dried on a length of thin rope strung across the cabin, Akane decided to set to work on dinner herself. [I think I'll do some curry tonight.] Putting on a smile at the thought of doing it all herself without any assistance, she spread out vegetables on the large bench, and set to work slicing them all. Onna-Ranma was lost in her thoughts at that time. The banging of the hammer outside, the rattling of cooking in the cabin, it was all a distant buzz. She was so deep in thoughts as she contemplated her existence, that had someone called out to her that Akane was cooking food, she wouldn't have heard it. She stared at the fire, not really watching the flames roll up the sides of a log, turning into embers that drifted upwards out of her vision. [Why did I survive?] She asked herself, but there was no answer, and she didn't expect it. [I should have died in that spring. It would have solved everyone's problem. I'm... I don't really belong here. There's already a male Ranma. I'm just... I'm just...] She sighed. [Worthless baka.] Outside, otoko-Ranma thought he heard someone and missed the nail he was aiming for, and slammed the hammer on a thumb. He swore, more at his own carelessness than at the small amount of pain. [I swear someone called me a baka.] He turned about in the near darkness, but didn't hear anything else. [Must be my imagination.] Taking the distraction as a break, he stuck his head through the remaining hole in the wall, to peek inside. The first thing he saw was Akane attacking a large cutting board with a knife, slicing vegetables that she had found somewhere. [Oh no, she's cooking!] He couldn't stop the look of pain that came across his face at that moment. Akane stopped slicing, realising she'd already finished chopping the vegetables, and they were now beginning to look finely shredded mush. [Maybe a little too much,] she thought. The room was quiet, and she turned about, wondering why the hammering had stopped, and found Ranma staring at her with the most dreadful look of pain on his face. "Are you okay Ranma? You look like something a... like something P-Chan had dragged in." She gave him that stare that just dared him to say something about her cooking, or about P-Chan. Ranma glanced from her to the knife that she still held in her hand, pointing lazily in his direction. He swallowed nervously. [Say something fool.] "Ah... Your..." [No, don't mention it, you'll just say something bad.] "I, Ah... just hit my thumb is all," he said, retreating back through the hole. Akane only glared back at him, before starting on finding some oil for the wok. [Oil, there's got to be some oil for cooking around here somewhere.] Onna-Ranma turned her eyes down to the floor, finding the fire too distracting in the sudden quiet. [Who ever heard of a real Jusenkyo cure anyhow? It... there's probably no such thing. This... this is like a curse.] She snorted. [Another Jusenkyo curse. From bad to worse, that's my life. I wonder if it can get any worse. I shouldn't think things like that, cause it might happen. What's a little fuel on the fire...?] Reaching over, she grabbed a few chunks of wood and threw them onto the fire, sending plumes of embers spiralling upwards. [I should search for a cure. I could try the Amazon village, what was it called. Jocks... Joksu... Well, they might know something, unless the old mummy is their only source of information, then I might as well go back the Japan. But... I think somehow the only person who knows anything is Kaneda Shotaro. He started this whole mess. Just because he happens to turn up at the Dojo one day, and tell me about a cure. I suppose that's luck, but I don't believe in luck.] She was silent for a long while, as hammering resumed outside, and the sounds of cooking started inside. [If I didn't do something bad in a previous life, then Fate must be a cruel woman. It just ain't fair!] She pulled her legs to her chest, pressing them close to prop her chin up with her knees, holding them tight as a single tear worked its way free and trickled down her cheek. Her breath came in and out in short surges, as she shook slightly. [Why?] She lamented. [Why did pop have to take me on this damn journey?] No longer able to cope with what was happening, the past and present troubles just seemed to flow together inside onna-Ranma head. [Damn baka. It'd serve him right if mom decides to split his stomach from his mouth.] She wiped the back of a hand across her face, than wiped it on the towel, resuming her foetal position on the floor. [All he ever wanted was a 'man amongst men'. Maybe I should...] She shook with uncontrolled sobbing for a moment. [Maybe I should commit seppuku. I doubt whether anyone would miss me.] Onna-Ranma turned her head, to look back over her shoulder at Akane. So engrossed in her cooking, Akane wasn't aware of the two red rimmed glassy eyes staring at her from the hearth of the fire. She was stirring and mixing food in the wok, busy preparing her best meal yet, all for her fiancé. "Akane..." onna-Ranma whispered. "I can't... be your fiancé any more. I'm not... I'm not worthy." The door clattered open as otoko-Ranma came in, finished with repairing the cabin wall. The first thing he noticed was the smell of food. It was so enticing, that he was drawn forward to have a look. [It smells good, but it never was a sure thing with Akane's cooking.] Looking into the wok however, he didn't find any burnt or unrecognisable foodstuffs. "Hmmmm." [Maybe she's improved.] "It'll be ready in a moment," Akane said with smile. "I'm just gonna get the other Ranma." She put the ladle down, and wandered over to the figure by the fire. "Ranma-chan, you want some food?" Onna-Ranma turned her head away quickly, not wanting to be seen crying as it wasn't very manly. "No," she said, not feeling hungry at all. [No?] Akane thought. [That isn't like Ranma. Even when I'm cooking.] "Come on, you've got to be hungry." Akane leaned down, and put a hand on one towelled shoulder. "I don't want anything," onna-Ranma said, but she couldn't keep the trembling out of her voice. Akane heard it. She leaned down, and looked at onna-Ranma's face. "You've been crying!" It wasn't a question. Onna-Ranma looked up into those deep brown eyes, and suddenly found she couldn't return the stare. "Don't look at me!" She screamed, knocking Akane out of the way as she jumped up from the floor, and ran for the door. Otoko-Ranma stared wide-eyed as she ran out the door, slamming it shut behind her. "What was that?" Akane started, climbing off the floor. "Ranma?" Ranma didn't answer, his eyes still glued to the door in concentration. [Maybe I wasn't hearing voices. She is *me* after all. It's... as if I could hear some of her thoughts.] Some of those thoughts ran through his head suddenly. "Kuso!" "What?" Akane asked. "We've got to find her quick. I think she's going to kill herself." She only had time to put a questioning look on her face, before he disappeared out into the darkness through the door still with his coat on, letting cold air blow its way inside. [Ranma no baka,] she thought. Instead of charging outside, she grabbed her coat also, and picked up one of the oil lamps before going out. She remembered to close the door, so the cabin would remain warm until they got back. But she forgot the wok of food still bubbling away on the stovetop fire. End Chapter 2 ______________________________________________________________________ Author's Notes: This wasn't exactly where I wanted to end it, as I had more to write, but it'll be in the next chapter. I hope you like this chapter, as I poured a lot of heart and soul into it, especially the last part, though it kind of pooled on the floor a little. Something I realised as writing this. No matter how much fan fiction I read about Ranma and Akane, a lot of it seems, so... well... plagiarised. I could be blamed for this also [Okay, someone has already]. It's hard, to write something, then go out and read someone else's, and find it to be exactly the same. Give me twelve monkeys and a typewriter... Now bubbles leave the computer alone! [Now where did I leave Akane's mallet?] Okay... The very point in splitting a person is you get two exact copies of the personality and memories. They should act exactly like one another, because they think the same. As time goes on however, their two different viewpoints and experiences will start to separate them. It's inevitable. But while those two consciousnesses are perfectly aligned, you have a phenomenon that is usually only talked about by twins, that they can share one another thoughts. Hopefully I'm the first take this to the split Ranma scenario, bwahah. (Please do tell me if I'm not!) Another cameo appearance... Can you guess who they are? I'm setting myself a kind of pattern to have a new guest (or two) from a different Manga or Anime in each and every chapter. It gives a little meaning to the world being a smaller place than you thought. Tokyo is of course a haven for problems of most Manga. [Gee, why am I saying this, you should know about it if you're reading this sort of stuff.] Constructive Interference: A physics term; where two waveforms of the same type actually reinforce one another. It's the basis for the resultant fight between the two Ranma's. It's actually their auras and ki energy that meet, and reinforce one another. The result was twice as much punishment and the explosive forces they released in almost DBZ style. Next Chapter (read with the half serious voice of a male narrator): Will Ranma and Akane stop onna-Ranma before she does something she regrets? Will she ever learn to put some clothes on? Is Akane actually learning to cook finally? Or will be cabin be burnt down by the time they return? Will P-Chan escape the clutches of the cute schoolgirls? Coming up next in "A Cure for the curse: The Duo of Death". Please send me C&C!! And direct them to spunkyredhead@TendoDojo.co.j... (Damn, I wish), send it to the address at the top. All flames will be fed to the cat. C...c...c...c...cat? ______________________________________________________________________ Ranma 1/2: A cure for the curse - Omake 1 A Mid-Space production fanfic Posted at: midspace dot com slash fanfic ______________________________________________________________________ Standard Disclaimer: This is my work, but not my characters... blah blah. You get the point. See the Prologue for more. ______________________________________________________________________ Omake 1 - Tricks, blades, and magicians The music starts up and the familiar stains of "Where do we go from here? (You and Me)" can be heard playing. You may touch me in dreams, but they don't stay... Today you don't have much to say... How am I gonna to face the light of day? What have I done now? Things are queasy unspoken, thinking it's for the best, then I look in to your eyes, and it's tight in my chest. Hear the river? It tells of our goodbye... It's late and they don't wait for me. Sayonara whispers on the breeze... I'll get in trouble... Let me know what in your heart, that a good place to start, all I need is a small sign, then I give my heart to you... You and me have still got, so much we need to say, friends is not enough, why can't we seize the day... Don't you know I got no idea, from this point on? So far to go until we both are free, you and me... ==={ @~>~~~ }=== As we end the music, the regular cast of Ranma 1/2 stand on stage on the screen. Nabiki (looks up at the sign hanging over everyone's head): since when have we ever done an omake? Soun: Two OVA's, three movies, how many episodes? Ukyo: I've lost count, there was so many of them. Shampoo (confused): We did three movies? Akane (grinning): You missed the third one. Kasumi: Oh pretty lights. Everyone (frowns at Kasumi) Shampoo (crosses arms in front of herself): It so unfair. No one tell Shampoo. Genma: (walking towards edge of screen): Since we've never done an omake, I don't see why we should start now. Kasumi: Oh pretty lights. Nabiki (grab's Kasumi and drags here towards the edge of the screen): Please don't start Kasumi. Akane (also leaving): It's not as if I asked for this. Cologne (headed for other side, leading Shampoo): This is not what the Amazon's do dear. Mousse (chases after them, trips and falls sending his glasses sliding across stage): Wait for me Shampoo! Ryoga (wanders off the screen, thinking he was still lost) Tatewaki (leaves screen): I must meditate on this dilemma. Kodachi (laughing manically as she prances off the screen, waving her ribbon) Ukyo (heads off screen): I can't stand here I've got as business to run. Happosai (bounds from one edge of the screen to the other with a bag on his back, and a pair of panties on his head): What a haul! What a haul! Soun (runs after Happosai): Master, please wait! Ranma (looks left and right, wondering where everyone had gone): Hey, we're supposed to do an omake! (Mumbles to himself) It's written on the script! (Out loud again) Oh well, maybe we should just run the cut scenes and the outtakes. That should keep everyone happy. Akane (pops head back on screen): What outtakes? Ranma: You know, all the pieces that don't make it onto TV. All the mistakes we made during filming. (Puts finger to chin in thought.) Like the one where you ran through the bathhouse and slipped on some soap. (Breaks into a grin) Akane (walks onto screen): We can't show that, it's... it's so embarrassing. Ranma: We got one where pop stuffed himself full of food before filming... Genma (re-enters screen) Ranma: Several of Shampoo, there's Cologne, Ukyo, Ryoga, um... some of Soun, and Nabiki, hah and even Kasumi. Everyone (slowly comes back onto the screen, irritated at the threat of been shown up in an outtake) Ranma (with a big grin): Then there's the oh, that ought to be really good Nabiki: Just run the omake. Ranma (finally notices that everyone is back): Oh. Um we can't Akane (frowns): Why not? Ranma: Where's my other half? Ukyo: Why Ranma (looking around for the redhead): Isn't she supposed to be here? This omake is after the first episode after all. Ryoga: It's an omake Ranma. She doesn't have to be here yet. Soun: Just run the omake son. Kasumi: Oh pretty lights. Everyone (They all face fault and collapse on the floor) ==={ @~>~~~ }=== The pretty lights start flashing as the stage darkens. Another sign descends from the top in bright strobing lights: The Great Magician Mousse As the lights brighten once again, we find Mousse on the stage by himself, with a small table in front of him, a strange contraption like a doorframe beside him, wearing of all things, a black top hat. It clashes with his white robe and thick glasses. Mousse: I am the Amazing Magician Mousse Shampoo (from offstage): It's Great Magician Mousse, baka. Read the sign. Mousse: Today I will be performing a magical feat to astound everyone. I will require the presence of my assistant. (Holds out hand to edge of stage) Onna-Ranma (shoved forcible on stage by unknown party or parties): Hey, don't push... what? What am I doing up here? Mousse (flicks a chain out of sleeve and snatches onto onna -Ranma's wrist, and pulls her across): My assistant today will be the beautiful Ranko. Ranma (struggling with chain): Hey duck-boy I'm not Sham... huh? I thought Shampoo was supposed to be you assistant! Mousse (whispers to Ranma, but loud enough for everyone to hear): Just go along with it. You have a better stage presence than Shampoo anyhow. A bonbori flies out of the side and hits Mousse in the side of the head. Mousse adjusts his glasses and glares off stage. Mousse: Amazing Magician Mousse will now perform his Amazing act. Shampoo (groans loudly) Mousse leads Ranko over to the contraption. He opens it up, and gets her to stand still as he locked first her wrists to the frame, and then her ankles to the base. Finally he swings another clasp down to hold her head still. Ranko (trying to turn head, but can't): What kind of magic trick is this? You're not going to throw knives at me are you? Mousse: Nothing so simplistic my dear assistant. I have no knives on me at the moment. (He demonstrates this by holding open once sleave) See, nothing up this sleave. (He holds open the other.) Nothing up here either. Shampoo (from offstage): Nothing between his ears either. The sound of sniggering echoes from both sides of the stage. Mousse (ignores the comments without any facial reaction and presses a hidden switch on the floor under his robes.) Overhead a sandbag comes loose and falls on a particular girl's head with a dull clunk and knocks her out. Mousse: Now without further ado, I will now split my lovely assistant in two. (Pressing another hidden switch on the floor, the sounds of mechanical popping reverberate overhead. Overhead a giant blade swings down from the top of the stage like a pendulum, swinging left and right above the girl locked in the frame. As it swings right, the there is a clunk and the blade descends an inch, and when it swings back it's a little lower than before. Ranko (trying to look up, but the frame stop her head from moving): What the hell is that? (She hears the whooshing sound made by the blade as it swings back and forth.) Mousse (addressing audience): With the blade you now see swinging back and forth, I will split my assistant Ranko into two halves. The blade descends a little more. Ranko (screams): What? Are you crazy? Get me out of here! (Struggling in the frame.) Come on get me out of here! Shampoo? Help please! The blade descends a little more. Ranko (feeling the air move now as the blade passes overhead): I mean it! Someone get me out of this! Mousse: For the sake of children in the audience, I will raise this curtain. (He presses another hidden button on the floor) A silk curtain rises from the floor of the stage right in front of the frame. A spotlight from behind turns on, so the shadows of Ranko, the frame and the swinging blade are clearly visible. Ranko (desperate now): Help! Help!!!!! (She starts screaming loudly as no one makes a move to help her.) The blade descends a little more. The shadow now passes the top of the frame and the sound of it hitting wood echoes. Wood chips fly out from behind the curtain and Mousse bends down the pick one up. He holds it up to the audience to see before tossing it aside. Ranko (continues screaming, no longer bothering to call for help.) The blade descends a little more, and sends more wood clips flying. The shadow of Ranko continues to struggle, but the frame is apparently more solid than it appears, except for the splintered portion above her head. Once more the blade descends a little more, and it's shadow passes though that of Ranko head and the screaming suddenly stops. The stage is ominously quiet as Mousse takes his glasses off and polishes them a little as the blade continues to lower itself, its shadow swinging left and right as it descends through the still body. Mousse makes not comment when he put his glasses back on, merely plays with the edge of his robe as he waits for the swinging blade to finally reach the bottom. Time wears on, and the blade reaches the bottom. Mousse presses a hidden switch and the shadow of the blade slows its swing as it is drawn back up into the ceiling out of sight. The shadow behind the thin curtain now shows the Ranko as she was before, but the frame looks distorted and bent in some places as if someone had taken an axe to it and chopped portions of it out. Mousse: And now for what we've all been waiting for. (Presses another hidden button.) The silk curtain falls away to reveal what we expect. A broken and chopped frame holding what appear to be Ranko's body, but her face is frozen in a look of horror. Mousse (moves up to the frame to release Ranko, but upon touching it, it falls away anyhow in little bits): Now if my assistant will step down. Grabbing one of her hands, Ranko starts to move. Stepping aside, from the frame, reveals otoko-Ranma standing in the same place as Ranko had been. Audience (claps and cheers wildly. Wouldn't you?) Mousse grabs otoko-Ranma's hand and leads him off the frame also, demonstrating that they aren't cardboard cut-outs but both sides of Ranma. Both Ranma's (comes out of their shocked states) Ranko: What the hell were you doing? Otoko-Ranma: You were trying to kills us! Mousse merely holds both their hands on either side of him as he takes a bow to the audience. Otoko-Ranma: Hey duck-boy! Maybe we ought to try and split you eh? The big curtain drops from the ceiling now that the act has finished. Shampoo (from offstage): That was mean duck-boy. You no meant to hurt Shampoo like that. Ranko: Let's split him and see how he feels. Mousse (starting to feel a little afraid when both Ranma's grab a hold of his hands firmly. Quickly he presses another button on the stage floor.) Overhead a bucket tied up in the rafters is upended, and water splashes down. Shampoo: Meoww? Both Ranma's: AHHHHHHHHHHH! Mousse's unconscious form falls to the floor, sticking out from below the curtain, his hat rolling across the stage. The lights fade from the stage. End Omake 1 ______________________________________________________________________ Ranma 1/2: A cure for the curse - Chapter 3 A Mid-Space production fanfic Posted at: www.midspace.com/fanfic ______________________________________________________________________ Standard Disclaimer: This is my work, but not my characters... blah blah. You get the point. See the Prologue for more. ______________________________________________________________________ Chapter 3 - Double Trouble: Duo of Death "Hello? Anyone home?" Called a voice from the front door. [Oh my, we have a guest.] Kasumi carefully marked the book she had been reading, and placed it down on a small pile in the corner of the room. Apparently she found she'd had a lot of spare time lately with little house work to be done, since there was only the two of them at home, she found she was able to catch up with all the books she'd been meaning to read, including the texts she'd borrowed from Doctor Tofu. Unsure who the visitor was, Kasumi tidied up the room a little and straightened her dress before going to the front door. "Hello again Mrs. Saotome!" Kasumi greeted her with a big smile, pleased to see the woman. "Won't you come in?" "Arigatoo." Nadoka slipped her shoes off and followed Kasumi into the house, holding to her a cloth wrapped bundle and a large bag. "Please take a seat," Kasumi offered. "I'll get us some tea." At the sound of voices, Nabiki came down stairs to investigate who the visitor was. She looked on as the Saotome matron sat at the table as Kasumi went to get some tea. Nadoka looked upon the middle Tendo daughter with a face of hopefulness. "Have Genma or Ranma returned from their mission?" She asked. "Ah, yes and no," said Nabiki as she came and sat down at the table. "Mr. Saotome and Father left on a training trip over two weeks ago with their Master." "Oh, dear." Nadoka held her hands to her cheeks. "That wouldn't happen to be... Ha... Hu..." She couldn't bring herself to say it, remembering the fear that Genma suffered from that name, and that saying it would only serve as drawing disaster to the speaker as lighting to an earthed metal rod. "Happosai? Yes the one and only." Nabiki looked at the pale death like expression of doom on Nadoka's face. "There's no need to worry Mrs. Saotome, it's quite safe to use his name at the moment." [Occupied as he is elsewhere in the country at the moment, or maybe those two have somehow managed to pull a miracle and gotten him a one -way ticket to Timbuktu. Not that we have anything against the Africans mind you. Though the witch doctors... hmm something to research later?] After Nadoka was able to settle down slightly, she remembered to ask. "And my dear Ranma? Where is he?" "Oh, he and Akane went on a training trip together," said Kasumi as she brought a steaming pot of tea in on a tray. She placed out three cups and proceeded to pour. Nabiki looked to her sister with veiled eyes. [Please keep out of this imouto. You may say something harmful.] "They've been gone about a week, so they should be back in another week hopefully." [At least I didn't have to lie to her this time. It's getting bad keeping track of all the fabricated stories I make up for Ranma. I'm going to *have* to start charging him for record keeping.] "That's a pity," Nadoka said, sadness creeping into her voice. "I seem to have the worst timing." She brightened suddenly. "So it's just the three of you at home then?" [Huh?] Nabiki thought. Kasumi's ever-present smile was replaced by a slightly confused expression. "Is Ranko around at the moment? I bought something for her." Nadoka lifted the bag she had from the floor, and laid it on the table next to her tea. "Ranko?" Nabiki suddenly chilled. [Damn, I forgot about her. Training trip? No, too many of those, and... I know...] "Ah, she's gone home for a short while. She might come back, we're not sure at the moment." [Damn that was close. I hope that cover's it.] "Do you mind if I look at what you got for Ranko?" Kasumi inquired. "Not at all." Nadoka unpacked the bag slowly. "All those boys clothes she keeps wearing, I thought she might like some nice girls clothes." "Ohh that's pretty," commented Kasumi as Nadoka laid out a floral dress with matching shoes. "And I got her this..." [Well Ranma can't blame me for this one.] At the sight of the very feminine dress, Nabiki smirked inwardly for a moment before her thoughts sobered as she looked at Nadoka. [She's going to be very disappointed if Ranko never ever comes back. I wonder if they really found that cure?] ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Genma adjusted his glasses on his nose. "So Tendo-san, how do you think you're daughters are doing home alone with my son?" Soun sighed, thinking of his three beautiful daughters. Kasumi and her ever present smile and cheerful personality, Nabiki and her calculating face always looking at the world in terms of profit and loss, and his youngest Akane, his baby and heir to the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. "I'm sure they are fine, and your son is treating them properly," he said with straight face, hiding his concern in front of his friend. "As long as the boy's kept fed," Genma replied. "Yes there is that, but Kasumi always makes sure of that, and if somehow she can't then I'd bet Akane would gladly cook for him." Genma's stomach growled loudly. "Even I'd put up with Akane's cooking right now." Soun leaned his head between two of the steel bars, feeling his stomach turn at the thought of food. "How did we get in this mess Saotome-san?" "Well, you know the Master. He'll go on a panty-stealing spree in some town, and let us..." "That's not what I mean Saotome-san," Soun spoke up a little too loudly, then calmed his voice. "I mean, how did all this begin?" He asked his long time friend. "How did we get stuck with the Master in the first place?" Genma turned to his friend with concern. "You mean you can't remember Soun? That blow to your head must have addled your memory!" "No, not at all. I remember a quite a bit from back then. I was just wondering how much you could remember." "It's been a long time," Genma said, gazing thoughtfully around the jail cell they occupied. "I think some of the memories are a little fuzzy... we were just a little younger then our children are now. Fresh out of the orphanage because we were too old to stay any longer..." ==={ @~>~~~ }=== Two young boys landed on their butts, thei