[Ranma][FanFic] SRU: Nerima Chronicles
Gregg Sharp
SRU:Nerima Chronicles 1: Candy Candy
by Gregg
Kasumi noticed the cat trying to sneak in and intercepted
it. "And where do
you think you're going, Mister Cat?"
"Meowmeowmewmeow. MEOW!"
"Oh my, you certainly are a talkative little kitty."
The cat gritted her teeth and let her ears flatten. How was
she going to tell
anyone about this? How could she turn back without some
help? She tried
again, yowling and spitting.
An anguished yelp could be heard from the stairway.
"I'm sorry, but we can't take any cats in here. Ranma's
afraid of them."
The cat ducked around her Kasumi, fleeing into the house.
The kitchen hot
water tap should do it! She leapt onto the counter, began
turning the knob and
was rewarded with a jet of hot water. Yes!
"Kasumi, what are you?" Nabiki watched the cat twist the
hot water knob,
then jump under the faucet. The resulting wet cat howled.
"Well, what did
you expect? Hmmm. You DID expect something, didn't you?"
The cat leapt up to the cupboard, looking thoroughly
bedraggled and
nodded.
"Nabiki, oh there it is." Kasumi started to remove the cat
only to be stopped
by Nabiki raising a hand to bar her way.
"Hang on, sis." Nabiki sighed and looked at the cat. A
little black cat with a
stubby tail, unremarkable as far as she could tell. "Do I
know you?"
The cat nodded.
"You're under a curse that turned you into a cat?"
Another nod. The cat was now staring at Nabiki with tears
welling up in her
eyes.
"Oh my."
"Do I know you from school?" The cat shook her head. "Do I
know you
personally?" The cat nodded. "Are we related?" Another nod.
"Well, Daddy,
however did you get yourself into this mess?"
The cat howled.
"Not Daddy?" Nabiki blinked. "Well, who the heck are you,
then?"
"Meow!"
"Kasumi, do we have any other relatives?"
"Not that I know of," Kasumi began uncertainly.
"Well, this cat insists." Nabiki thought for a few moments.
"Playing twenty
questions like this is not an efficient use of time. We need
some means of
communication a cat can manipulate. That lets my computer
out, I don't think
the keypad fits your paws."
"Meow?"
"Hmmm? Oh, sorry. It's a puzzle, and I simply can't let go
of puzzles."
Nabiki pondered a few moments more. "Do you speak English?"
"Meow?" The cat looked rather puzzled but nodded.
"Good." Nabiki nodded and went to get a stack of notecards
from the
cupboard.
"Why English, Nabiki?" Kasumi looked curiously on as Nabiki
quickly
marked each of the cards with a letter.
"Because English only has twenty-six letters. As opposed to
doing up a card
for the hiragana, katakana, and the common kanji. It's more
efficient even if
that language is quite a bit less elegant than Japanese."
In a trice, the cat was set in the middle of a ring of
cards, each marked with a
romaji letter.
"Still not the best system," Nabiki said with a frown, "but
the best I could
come up with on short notice."
"A-k-a-n-e-t-e-n-d-o." Kasumi read each letter off as the
cat turned and
batted it with a paw.
"Akane? Akane Tendo? Do we have a relative named Akane
Tendo?" Nabiki
was rewarded with the sight of a cat facefaulting.
"AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa!" Ranma walked in, saw the creature in
the room,
and fled.
"Oh good grief." Nabiki covered her face. "You WOULD be the
one thing
my fiance is absolutely phobic about."
"MEOW?!" The cat's jaw was hanging open.
"You knew me and Kasumi, but didn't know Ranma? Yes, he's
my fiance.
Has been for six months now. He doesn't look like much, I'll
admit, but he's
got his good points."
The cat face faulted again, then started whapping cards as
soon as she
recovered.
"Curse?" Nabiki blinked. "Yes, he's got a curse. Turns into
a girl."
The cat continued to whap at cards.
"Oh. 'fatherisapanda' So, your father is named Panda?"
Kasumi was
rewarded by the cat covering her head with her paws. "Oh."
"Yes. Ranma's father turns into a panda." Nabiki glanced
at the cat, still
trying to come up with a faster method of communication. "So
what kind of
relation are you?"
"Sister?!" Kasumi and Nabiki exclaimed in unison as the cat
finished batting
at cards.
"You mean that Father...oh my!"
"Six months ago this would have been ludicrous. It's quite
interesting at
how speaking to a cat that claims to be my sister has become
almost the sort
of thing one would expect."
The cat continued to bat away at cards for a few moments.
"Cursed food turned you into a cat?" Nabiki blinked.
"Nobody remembers
you? Hmmm. Sounds high level."
"Meow?"
"Of course I know something about curses," Nabiki chided
the cat. "I have a
fiancee who changes genders when splashed with water. What
kind of idiot
WOULDN'T research magic in general and curses in particular
when you're
engaged to evidence for both?"
The cat blinked a couple of times and looked sheepish.
"Cursed food, eh? And a mass forgetfulness spell or else
some localized
reality alteration focussing on your existence?" Nabiki had
a thought. "Was it
at the Nekohanten?"
The cat shook her head.
"Well, I've got to think about this. Try to stay out of
sight and tomorrow we
can get a start on whatever it is."
"Na-Nabiki?"
Akane scampered under the table only to nearly lose control
at seeing Ranma
come nervously into the room. Then Nabiki swept him in for a
brief kiss that
apparently took both of their minds away from felines of any
stripe.
"Urrrrrr," came a growl from under the table when the shock
wore off.
"Ranma, could you please go upstairs for a bit, I have to
speak with you
later."
Ranma looked into her eyes, and whatever he saw there
brought a tender
smile to his lips. "You'll tell me what's going on later?"
"Of course, Ranchan. 'No secrets from EITHER of us.'"
Nabiki let out a
sigh as she watched the view of Ranma walking up the stairs,
then turned a
more businesslike expression towards the table. "All right,
you. Why were
you growling at Ranma? You're not another childhood friend
turned rival or
friend-turned-rival-turned fiancee, are you?"
Akane stuck her head out, ears flat as she looked towards
where Ranma had
walked off. The baka had never done any of that with HER.
"Oh, I'd better get busy with supper." Kasumi made an
excuse to leave the
weirdness and retreat to her sanctuary.
"Excuse me, Akane, but I want to spend some quality time
with MY fiance
and if you're going to get cured it will be under the
condition that you leave
all vengeance against MY iinazuke behind you. Do you
understand?"
Akane blinked, then returned to the cards, batting away
quickly.
"Whoa. Slow down. Geez, I'd almost think you were doing a
Chestnut Fist.
'How come you're engaged to Ranma.' Well, this is
interesting. You know
about Ranma, his dad, me and Kasumi. You seem to be
rather..." Nabiki
stopped and blanched. "Not an illegitimate half-sister? A
real sister? One that
was engaged to Ranma?"
The cat nodded to each question.
Nabiki looked sick. "Kitty, I've never had any sisters
besides Kasumi.
Ranma showed up one day, to be engaged to one of the Tendos.
Kasumi and
me considered the situation and I was slightly less revolted
by his being a girl
half the time. I'm glad it happened though, as I've been
able to get him to
stop being a jerk and once you get past all the insecurities
and
overcompensation, he can be really sweet."
The cat made a hacking noise.
"It's true! And in return he's gotten me to open up and be
more considerate
of others. It's not an ideal relationship but we've come to
care for each other
very much, and neither of us wants anything to happen to
that." Nabiki
thought for a moment. "Okay, now what kind of food and
where?"
The cat began tapping away.
"Candy. From a store that specializes in curses? Let me
guess, you went in
while looking for a cure for Ranma's curse and got a curse
yourself instead?"
"Meeowww!" The cat nodded.
"Well we can check with them tomorrow for a cure for your
curse." Nabiki
gave the cat a sad look. "You're sure about the part that
you're really my
sister and you're really Ranma's fiancee?"
"MEOW!"
"And I suppose he does all those sweet things for you, and
nuzzles you
behind the ear telling you what a sweet and wonderful
creature you are?"
The cat facefaulted again then started angrily hissing and
meowing and was
intent on running up the stairs and having a chat with that
two-timer. Four
timer. Whatever.
Nabiki intercepted the cat. "I don't think so. I'm really
not sure how much of
your story I believe..."
The cat meowed as if indignant.
"...but it's the duty of a martial artist to help those in
need." Nabiki
straightened. "Even if I'm NOT that good as a martial
artist, I AM Heir to the
Tendo School."
"Meow?!"
"Sorry, cat. Look, I've got to get working on the next
installment of my
manga, and the dojo really needs the money, you know.
ESPECIALLY after
that little spat with the Black Rose last week."
"Meow?" Akane didn't remember Kodachi attacking her last
week.
Waitaminute. Working on the next installment of her manga?
"You haven't read, 'The Sword & The Rose?' It's doing
fairly well in the
dojinshi circles. I may even be attracting the attention of
one of the major
publishers if rumor can be believed. It's an action-romance
set in the period
just before the Disarmament with an amnesiac ronin and this
girl whom he
rescues from brigands." Nabiki grinned and winked. "My art
style needs
work but quite a few people like the story. We can hope one
of the big
publishers gets interested, ne?"
Akane blinked and settled back under the table. This was
too weird.
----------------------
Morning came and a cat hidden under the house watched as
Ranma fell into
the pond with a splash.
As a Nabiki who had never had a younger sister to be the
Heir popped out
briefly to assist her fiance, only to get dunked herself.
As the two grinning teenagers proceeded to reduce a panda
nearly to the
status of throw rug.
"Ranma, I've got a really tricky job I've got to work on
today, so I'm going
to have to back out of checking out that 'Rivalsan Dojo'
place."
"More work with your comic? I'm tellin' ya. More action
sequences, that'll
sell."
"Now now, Ranma, I don't tell you how to do Anything Goes
(much) and
you don't advise me in what will sell. Besides, with Kodachi
continually
attacking for me being a 'wicked sorceress' who's 'cursed
her Ranma sama
to turn into a girl' and used 'diabolic means to ensnare his
heart', I'd kinda
like to get away from fight sequences for awhile."
Akane lost sight of the two as they walked into the house.
>From her vantage
though, she could clearly hear them as they moved overhead.
She avoided
Sasuke and continued to listen.
"It's not something you need help with, is it?"
"Nah. This is definitely something you can't help with. It
involves a cat."
"O-Oh."
"Don't sweat it, Ranma. I plan on getting ahold of Shampoo
or maybe her
Great Grandmother. Besides, if this goes bad you can ride to
the rescue at the
last minute, per usual."
Akane tried to identify the sounds that followed. What?
They couldn't be!
They wouldn't! It sounded like some heavy liplock going on!
"Well, since you two are getting along so well, maybe I
should..." Akane
heard her father's voice trail off. "Well, yes, a martial
artist has to exercise
patience. Heh heh."
"Take care, Nabiki-chan. Suki da."
"Same here, Ranma-kun."
Akane facefaulted, which had the effect of causing a small
amount of dirt
going up her nose and a resultant sneeze. Inside her
currently feline brain,
she was reeling.
She had to wait for Nabiki, so she had plenty of time to
think about it. How
could this happen? Nabiki was only interested in profit,
she'd always been
badgering Ranma, selling him off, ready with a quick insult
or to make his
life miserable. And it had been Nabiki who had first
nominated Akane as the
one to marry Ranma after the curse had been demonstrated.
Akane wasn't that used to being devious, and wasn't the
sort to enjoy
figuring out puzzles. She labored at understanding the scene
she'd just
observed now.
Nabiki's overwhelming mania for quick profit and
ruthlessness had only
manifested AFTER Ranma had arrived. Nabiki had been
interested in boys as
something other than a source of income before Ranma's
arrival. Before
Ranma's arrival, she'd mainly taken bets and sold her skills
at photography.
Before, she had read a lot of manga and had shown interest
in a few other
subjects.
Nabiki had briefly toyed with the idea of actually writing
manga once, but
had given it up after it became obvious that it would be an
uphill battle. Had
her continued training in the martial arts given her enough
discipline that she
had pursued it?
Akane growled softly as she saw Ranma and Nabiki exit the
house together,
holding hands and apparently not even aware of it!
Akane watched as Ranma ran off, Nabiki watching him from
the gate with a
wistful expression on her face. Akane tried to fit this
Nabiki in with the one
she had come to know over the past few months.
Something clicked that Akane had only noticed briefly but
on a few
occasions within the household. Times when the mask slipped
just a little.
Nabiki goading Ranma towards one of the other girls by
making it a
challenge or point of pride, something Ranma couldn't
possibly allow to go
without giving his best effort. Times when things seemed to
smooth out in
the Akane-Ranma running battle, only to have Nabiki throw a
little chaos into
the mix. And sometimes, it had turned out that even when it
wasn't directly
Nabiki, the interruption had come at Nabiki's direction.
Feline eyes widened and she let out an involuntary meow.
Only someone
who knew Nabiki as well as a sister would have noticed the
shadow of an
expression passing over the face of the "heartless
mercenary" Nabiki had
become. Just seen a few times here and there when the mask
had slipped.
Akane had noticed but not really paid attention at that
time. They were
expressions of sadness and jealousy.
It couldn't be. Could it?
"Oh hello, Ryouga."
Akane looked around but couldn't see Ryouga. But there was
P-chan! Akane
wondered if P-chan was Nabiki's pet now, she seemed to have
everything
else of hers.
"Bweee?"
"Ryouga, I could use your help today."
"Buqiii!"
"Tut tut, Ryouga-kun. You might be interested in this one.
Someone you
don't know was cursed by some store's product to turn into a
little black cat."
P-chan began growling. Akane was amazed at how well trained
P-chan was.
It was almost as if he was having a conversation with
Nabiki.
"If you're blaming Ranma for this, don't bother. He doesn't
know about it.
Now, I will be going there to help this unfortunate girl get
uncursed. The idea
being is that if this store sells the curses, the cures are
also likely to be
available, though I'd expect the cures to be at a
significant markup."
"Buqiii."
"Because I would expect curses to be easier than cures,
also because the
demand for a cure would be rather more than that of a curse.
Supply and
demand and relative value."
"Squee."
"And if they can cure one kind of curse, maybe they can
cure other curses."
P-chan had turned away from Nabiki and had closed his eyes.
Now he was
giving Nabiki his full attention. If Akane didn't know
better, she could have
sworn that P-chan's eyes were glimmering with tears.
"Thought that would get your attention." There were deserts
less dry than
Nabiki's tone. "In any case, Ryouga, sit your butt down.
I'll get some hot
water, and the nice kitty cat can take us to that store."
"Mrow?" Akane watched Nabiki enter the house, returning a
moment later
with a kettle and a thermos.
"I got two of those 'instant hot water dispensers' a couple
of months ago.
The one in the living room has a coin slot attatched. That's
Mister Saotome's.
There's another one I keep for emergencies." Nabiki assumed
the cat was
asking about the quick availability of hot water. Nabiki
smirked at the cat and
added that there were times when she really wanted Ranma to
be in his male
form.
Akane grumbled a little at the suggestive tone. She got it
already.
Nabiki poured water down onto P-chan, eliciting a momentary
hiss from
Akane. P-chan didn't need...a bath?!
A moment later, Ryouga was attacked by a thoroughly ticked
off housecat.
-------------------------------
"I figure it's the same thing with Ranma and you. You don't
know what you
did, but you did something to her. Missed an appointment or
something, and
she swore vengeance. Etcetera, etcetera." Nabiki smirked.
This was just too
amusing to have Ryouga hit with the same sort of grudge that
the lost boy
had against Ranma.
"We're here," Ryouga noted, tugging a little against the
tether that Nabiki
had insisted on tying to his belt.
Akane blinked. The Nekohanten?
"This won't take long." Nabiki winked at the cat. Nabiki
entered the cafe,
exiting a moment later with Shampoo.
"Of course Shampoo ready to assist sister Amazon with
problem. Maybe
find cure for own curse?"
Akane twitched at the reference to a "sister amazon." The
sooner she got
back to normal and left this insanity behind, the better.
After a few moments, her curiosity got the better of her.
It took a little trial
and error but finally Nabiki got the idea.
"Shampoo was my 'rival' up until last month. This old rival
of Ranma's
showed up, promising to make him suffer for something that
his father
apparently did."
"Meow," said Akane, nodding. That would have been Ukyou.
"Anyway, this guy was going to kill Ranma, especially when
he found out
that I was his fiancee and that we were getting along."
Nabiki seemed to flush
slightly and Akane wondered exactly what the two had been
doing when
Ukyou had found them. "So the usual challenge and fight like
with Ryouga
here, except this guy is REALLY angry."
"What, you mean I'm not? I've been to Hell due to Ranma,
and I won't rest
until he's paid for it!"
"During the fight I see this load of explosive tempura
flakes heading my
way. I get out of the way, evasion is a specialty of the
Tendo School, but
then Shampoo here gets tagged. So, private grudge match or
not, me and
Shampoo get involved in the fight. Ranma goes into just pure
rage when I get
attacked, but then has to sit on the sidelines when me and
Shampoo go to
town on Mr Challenger."
"Meow?" They didn't know Ukyou was a girl? And what did
this have to do
with being a sister Amazon?
"Well, I read a lot. Research stuff online, too. So, I see
Elder Cologne in
attendence. Me and Shampoo here have just fought together
against a
common enemy. So in front of the Elder, I place a wound I
got from a flying
spatula on a similar one from Shampoo. Then I take some
sweat from
Shampoo and taste it."
A cat made a disagreeable noise. Still, Akane was listening
as she might be
able to use this herself.
"At this point, Cologne's eyes are as big as saucers. You
should'a seen it.
Then I petition Cologne to become Shampoo's blood sister as
we have shared
blood and salt in the defeat of a common enemy."
"Shampoo not know about rules. Never have blood-sister.
Linlin and
Ranran close, but not go through this."
"Well, when I found out about the marriage laws and the bit
about outsider
women, I knew there had to be loopholes. They couldn't
possibly go about
indiscriminately killing and marrying outsiders. This was
one, and when I
saw my chance I took it. Cologne HAD to accept the petition,
and give me
three tasks which I had to complete. They couldn't be flat
out impossible or
kill me directly or indirectly, though. The Trial Of War,
The Trial Of Skill,
and The Trial Of The Heart.
"The first one was to defeat Shampoo. I had to make it
other than a physical
combat, but I managed to get through the bakeoff with some
help from
Kasumi. The Trial Of Skill was more difficult. The Breaking
Point training. I
think I've still got bruises. I just don't heal as fast as
Ryouga.
"The Trial Of The Heart is always the most difficult.
Cologne used some
nightmare incense, trapped me in a dream where I was a minor
supporting
character watching..."
Nabiki's face turned pale and she shot a glance towards the
cat. "Oh no."
Shampoo gave a worried glance to her sister. "Nabiki win
Trial. Make
ultimate sacrifice in dream. Give up on own life, own
happiness, for the
better of tribe. Shampoo have to stay over for a few nights
until nightmares
stop. Was fun. Was also good get away from stupid Mousse."
Akane led the small group through a series of streets,
finally arriving at the
small alleyway. Her thoughts were whirling. How could she
make use of this
new knowledge herself?
"Lemon Street, Ecchi Way, Kimyo Plaza?" Nabiki's eyes
narrowed. "I don't
remember these in Nerima."
"Meow!" Akane stopped at the door to a small store. "Meow!
Meow!"
"Spells R Us?" Nabiki frowned. "Hmmm. Nothing to do but
give it a try, I
suppose."
"NABIKI TENDO! PREPARE TO DIE!"
Akane-neko stared, wide eyed and ears flattened, at the
figure that had just
leapt down into the alley.
"For what you and that bimbo have done to me," Ukyou drew
her spatula,
"death!"
"Yeah, right, Kuonji." Nabiki felt a little better flanked
by Ryouga and
Shampoo. "You're the one who used oil, electric heating
devices, and that
tempura mixed with gunpowder crap! It's your OWN fault that
it blew up in
your face when you tried to hit me with that stuff."
Her face swathed in bandages, and still wearing her boy
disguise, Ukyou
screamed in rage at the three confronting her. "My fault?!
LOOK AT WHAT
YOU'VE DONE!" She ripped the bandages away in a sweeping
gesture.
"Pah! Is nothing. Hair grow back eventually in most places.
Doctors in
Japan know how fix scars."
Nabiki was looking a little green. "It doesn't change that
this was YOUR
grudge fight, and YOUR quest for vengeance. YOUR tools and
YOUR lack
of judgement. If you hadn't attacked me, you wouldn't have
been fighting me
and Shampoo, and you wouldn't have had one of your own bombs
explode
in your face."
"I'll get you, Nabiki Tendo! Sooner or later, you'll pay
for this." Ukyou
fled.
Nabiki held up a hand to prevent Shampoo from running after
the target.
"You let him go?" Shampoo asked after a moment. "Why?"
"It's a trap. The Black Rose and the Blue Thunder, Kodachi
and Tatewaki
Kuno are nearby. Smell the air. There's a faint hint of that
perfume she
wears. Just another ambush. Trust me on that, kiddo, those
two try
something like this on a weekly basis at least. Though with
all three of them
cooperating now, we'll have to be doubly careful."
-----------------------------------------
Chapter 2: more Akane eye-openers in "kid in a candy store."
-----------------------------------------
A bell on the door jangled, as a number of people moved
into the cluttered
shop.
A black cat led the way, stopping at a rack of candy and
meowing
repeatedly.
The next one in was a short haired girl of seventeen, who
moved with a
slight limp but otherwise had the typical grace of a skilled
martial artist.
A tether from her hand led to the belt of a confused
looking boy who had a
bandana and was carrying an umbrella.
The final member of this group was a purple-haired Chinese
girl who had the
expression of a warrior who has just stepped behind enemy
lines.
A man in a bathrobe stepped out of a room in the back. "Ah,
Akane Tendo.
So nice to get a return customer. We don't get many, you
know. And you
brought your sister Nabiki, the eternally lost Ryouga
Hibiki, and Shampoo of
the Nichieju Chinese Amazons."
"How do you..." Nabiki started then waved it off. "Let me
guess, a spell on
the door. Gives you identities and some basic dossier on
those who ring the
bell."
The old man adjusted his glasses. "So nice to do business
with someone
who doesn't go through the usual spiel."
"Then you already know we're here to see about getting
cures for curses, the
one that this cat picked up particularly."
"She should have read the fine print on the back." The
wizard shrugged.
"We're not responsible for problems that occur as a result
of use or misuse of
our products."
Shampoo looked up from where she was examining the candy
rack. "All
candies look normal, but little print in Cantonese on back.
Almost need
magnifying glass to read."
The wizard shrugged again.
Nabiki didn't waste time threatening a wizard capable of
turning a girl into a
cat then rewriting history so that the girl had never
existed. "How much to
cure the kitty cat?"
"Difficult to say." The wizard adjusted his glasses again
and looked directly
into Nabiki's eyes. "Are you sure you want to do that,
though? Turning her
back puts everything back the way it was."
"MEOW!"
"What's different?" Ryouga blinked. Not much could have
changed, he
didn't feel different.
"The transformation apparently erased from existence a
little sister of mine,
apparently named Akane Tendo. Just from the questions she's
asked and
reactions she's displayed I can make a few guesses. May I?"
This last was
directed to the wizard.
When he nodded, Nabiki continued.
"Akane is apparently the Heir to the Tendo School, not I.
She is also
apparently engaged to Ranma, doesn't like him very much,
doesn't like
Ryouga at all, and is a fair English student."
The wizard cleared his throat. "Ryouga sleeps with Akane in
his cursed form
as her pet 'P-chan'. Ukyou is NOT scarred or insane and is
seen as one of
Ranma's fiancees. Nabiki never got into singing, drawing
manga, OR the
martial arts. I also don't have anything labelled 'antidote'
but perhaps
something else will approximate what you're looking for?"
"I get to sleep indoors," Ryouga said with a wistful smile.
"How could Ukyou be..." Nabiki's eyes narrowed as pieces of
a puzzle
clicked together. "He's a she? Hmmmm. Maybe another Jusenkyo
victim. All
righty then."
"How much this candy?" Shampoo dumped a few assorted pieces
on the
counter.
"SHAMPOO!" To say Nabiki was alarmed was quite understating
it.
Shampoo smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Candy called 'Kit
Kat' change
girl into kitty cat, yes? So what you think happen if Ranma
in girl form eat
'Big Hunk' bar? Or if girl-cat have 'Nerds' or 'Girl Scout
Cookies:Thin
Mints' or maybe underdeveloped Amazon sister eat
'Whoppers'?"
Nabiki glared for a moment. "I am quite happy with my
natural amount of
'talent', Shampoo."
"That not what you say when looking at them dresses last
week."
Ryouga quietly added another "Big Hunk" bar and a "Three
Musketeers" to
the pile.
"Waitaminute, Shampoo, if we cure Akane here, then you've
paid for
something, but we set up a paradox because if she's cured
then we wouldn't
have had a reason to come." Nabiki winced as all the
implications and
problems of mucking about with your own history started
occurring to her,
absent mindedly putting a set of coins on the counter to pay
for the
purchases. "The past timeline in which she, not I, is your
warrior sister..."
The sad look passed into Nabiki's eyes again as she
considered what she
was doing. Would she go back to being as she was before
meeting Ranma?
Would she still at least have her artwork and musical
skills? Or would it be as
in the Trial Of The Heart and she would be a mere shadow
trapped in a two-
dimensional life, forced to watch other people being happy
but never able to
grasp it herself? Having erected walls around herself to
protect herself, but
being cold and lonely and not that well protected after all.
The cat in discussion would have corrected Nabiki if she
could, but couldn't,
so instead just settled for sniffing at the assorted
candies. If all it took was
one bite...
This world was too crazy for her.
-----------------------
Akane staggered and put out a hand to steady himself against
the furo wall.
Some curious dislocation continued to make itself felt.
Groaning, Akane got
to the door and wondered where his... uh oh.
His scream brought everyone else in the household.
------------------------
"A curse, Akira?" Sixteen year old Nabiki frowned and shook
her head.
"Even with all the craziness Ranma here brought in, that's a
little difficult to
swallow."
"It's Akane." The sullen nineteen year old corrected.
"That's a GIRL'S name." Nabiki's hand slapped down on the
table. "YOU
ARE A GUY! You are NOT Ranma and you can't change genders
with water
temperature."
"Uhm, it's not a Jusenkyo curse." Akira/Akane looked down
from his
impressive height at his sisters, father, and a thoroughly
bewildered looking
pair of freeloading houseguests. "All I need to do is go
back to the shop, and
I can try something else. No problem."
"AIREN!" The cry came from the backyard and the latter part
was
considerably increased in volume from the first part.
Akane sat back, ready to get angry at Ranma for being
glomped by
Shampoo. Unfortunately...
*GLOMP!* "Akira happy to see Shampoo?" The Amazon snuggled
against
her big brave husband with the chiseled musculature. A
moment later her
eyes widened and she glanced down. "Akira IS happy to see
Shampoo!
Shampoo was beginning to worry that maybe Akira no like
girls. Shampoo
HAPPY!" The Amazon Glomp resumed.
Akira wasn't happy about her/his body going off and
reacting to a
suggestively snuggling Amazon without consulting him about
it.
"Oh dear," Akira's seventeen year old sister Kasumi said
after a moment.
"Shouldn't you two take it upstairs if you're going to try
that?"
"Ohohohohohohohoho!" Sinister laughter echoed through the
house,
causing Akira to wince and start pleading that what he was
imagining wasn't
really going to happen.
A swirl of black rose petals, and a leotard clad Kodachi
appeared. "Halt, you
common tramp, and release my Akira-sama!"
"C'mon, Nabiki, we don't wanna be late," said Ranma with a
weary sigh.
He had no idea why Akira was doing all this, but ever since
the boy had
insulted his girl form that first day as a "short and
scrawny sniveling little
brat" - they hadn't gotten along too well.
"So true, my dear Ranma, so true. We'll just leave the
lovebirds alone..."
Nabiki smirked. Akira making fun of Nabiki's relationship
with Ranma had
stopped after he had accidently beaten Shampoo, and catching
Kodachi that
once had set big brother up for a whole slew of problems.
"AAAAAA! Shampoo, let go of me! Kodachi, no, not the
ribbon! Not in the
house, you guys!" Akane was beginning to get the faintest
hint of sympathy
for what Ranma went through.
-----------------------------------------
A thoroughly bedraggled Akira Tendo thwacked his head into
the doorframe
of Spells R Us and wondered how things could be this bad.
Being 6'4" and having a sculpted physique, he understood
was part of the
"Big Hunk" candy's transformation. This wasn't hard to
understand. How to
fix the current problem and not end up worse off, that was
the difficult part.
Trying to tell Shampoo to go back to China had ended when
Akira had
looked down into that happy, loving, face and realized that
Shampoo had it
even worse for Akira than she had for Ranma in the "real"
timeline.
Akane/Akira just hadn't had the heart.
"So, Miss Tendo, what did you want to try this time?" It
was the same
wizard as from before.
"The cure." Briefly, Akane entertained the notion of
reaching across the
counter, and beating the snot out of this miserable little
man until such time as
the wizard gave up the cure.
"You wouldn't want to try anything rash, Miss Tendo. The
last person who
did ended up in a mess a great deal worse than your current
difficulties."
Akira frowned, realizing that the telepathy spell must
still be going. THAT
cut down an already slim list of options.
"Aunt Jemima" pancake mix. Akane didn't think so, though
maybe Kasumi
could make some for Genma. Maybe with that big bottle of
"Mrs
Butterworth's" syrup to go with them.
The old-fashioned soda machine in the corner had a number
of cans. Some
were western drinks: Mr Pibb, Dr Pepper, Sprite, Orange
Crush. Others
were Japanese: Pocari Sweat, Calpis, Kirin Gold. A few
bottles of some
gaijin health drink under the brand name of "Sobe" read
"Power",
"Wisdom", "Energy", or "Eros."
This last word sounded vaguely familiar to Akira. Maybe it
had something to
do with a cure.
The candy rack held some things that promised any number of
things. There
were two varieties of Girl Scout cookies, and one variety of
prepackaged
Brownies. Chunky, 3 Musketeers, Nerds, Everlasting
Gobstoppers, Runts,
Peppermint Patties, Mars bars, Reese's Pieces, Whoppers,
Skor, Kit-kats,
Big Hunks, Tiger's Milk, Lemon Warheads, Purple Passion Pop
Rocks,
Pixie Sticks, Koala Crunchies, Pocky sticks, Baby Ruth, Oh
Henry, Sweet
Tarts. Nothing that immediately screamed "CURE" to Akane's
eye.
There were costumes hanging from racks. Harem girl costumes,
French maid
costumes, bunny costumes, football player costumes, horse
costumes, a blue
Sailor Moon-style seifuku, even a "Lina Inverse" costume
from "Slayers"
and a costume similar to what was in Kasumi's anime magazine
as a "Reiko
Ayanami" plug suit.
Computer programs were listed on a blackboard. VR versions
of
"Graduation" and "Tomb Raider." Dating simulators and FFVII.
A game
called "Life Sugoroku Special" and something else called
"Monopoly."
Another blackboard had a list of odd things like
"inflatable date" and specials
on catering.
A shelf of videos turned up titles like "Catgirl Nukunuku",
"Bambi",
"Dumbo", "Debbie Does Dallas", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre",
"Gremlins",
"Cutey Honey Flash volumn I", an empty area marked "Ranma
1/2" (must be
all checked out), and "Fuchigi Yuugi."
Akira frowned, realizing that he had to do something. The
way things were
were getting entirely too comfortable. It was beginning to
feel "right" to be
this tall and muscular fellow with the gleaming smile. Time
for Akane to
return, but how?
Akira looked around the shop, ignoring the shopkeeper's
smirk. If Akira had
figured it out, returning to normal was almost impossible.
So the next
decision would be: a) go for as close as possible to her
original timeline and
hope for the best. Becoming a girl would be fairly easy.
Becoming the right
one might be difficult. Maybe that "Debbie" tape was a
travelogue, she could
always get a flight back. Or maybe the "Sweet Tarts" or
"Peppermint Patty"-
those seemed safe. Then there was the other approach. b)
screw the status
quo, find one that was better off than the original. After
hours in this
whacked out reality, Akira realized that damn near everyone
was happy.
Kodachi and Shampoo were chasing after Akira, who apparently
had found
the attention a mix of embarrassing and kind of nice.
Tatewaki was pursuing
Nabiki and the Pigtailed girl. Kasumi was on the Furinkan
Cooking Club and
a martial arts bakeoff was scheduled for later this week
against Kolkhoz High
School's Midori Chiba. Ukyou and Nabiki were both interested
in Ranma.
Shampoo's death-hunt against female Ranma had been called
off because of
the relationship between Ranma and her 'airen' - though
occasional hostilities
still occurred. Tsubasa still showed up every blue moon to
pursue Ukyou.
Akira had found that instead of the craziness swirling
around Ranma, that
there were three centers to the madness in this odd world.
Ranma, Akira, and
Kasumi. Kasumi being pursued by two odd suitors herself. At
least they
didn't show up very often, as they were based OUT of Nerima.
Akira was the Heir to the Tendo School. Kasumi was fairly
skilled but
preferred defensive and avoidance tactics as she seemed to
have trouble with
the idea of hurting other people no matter what other
insanities were going on
around her. Nabiki had never shown that much interest in the
martial arts
beyond as a form of exercise.
Looking around in desperation, Akira felt more of Akane
beginning to slip
away and made a choice.
-----------------------------------
Chapter 3: A Fistful of Akanes
-----------------------------------
The wizard merely smirked, looking past the transformed
former sixteen
year old Japanese girl. A sign displayed where almost
everyone would ignore
it, read "Only Three Per Customer."
Besides, after he was done here, he could go visit Juuban.
=============================
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDING! Yes, this was my attempt to give
Akane
equal play after "A Little Sense" did the same for Ranma. So
choose the
ending that you, the reader, like. (Original, Crispy, Extra
Crispy, BBQ, or
Honey-Roasted.)
Option One: How this was originally planned.
Akira/Akane thought deeply about this, noting only idly the
growing
impatience of the wizard behind the counter.
In both the "World Without Akane" and his current reality,
there were people
who could be said to be reasonably happier. People like
Nabiki who actually
had outside interests beyond making money now. People like
Ranma who
were being challenged to grow up and act in a responsible
manner as opposed
to merely being confronted.
Akira smiled, straightened, and nodded to the suddenly
startled wizard. And
left the shop without touching anything. Being a huge guy
pursued by
Kodachi and Shampoo was strange, but if her family was
happier...
---------------
Akane shook her head and went into a coughing fit.
"Well done, my daughter."
"All right, sis!"
Akane looked up, seeing Cologne and Nabiki. Things began to
filter back
into her mind. The petition to end Shampoo's pursuit of
Ranma within the
Laws of the Amazons. Akane petitioning Cologne to become an
Amazon
blood-sister of Shampoo. The three Trials or Ordeals that
had to be
overcome.
Nabiki was present because this had come out of Akane
paying her older
sister to find a way to solve the problem with the Amazons.
There had been the Trial Of War where Akane had to fight a
conjured evil
twin of herself, one that had every nasty impulse and habit.
The towering
rage of her opponent had given the other an advantage at
first, but Akane had
(with effort) kept her calm and had won at the end. Facing
THAT had given
her some uncomfortable insight into how she acted on
occasion.
The Trial Of Skill where Akane had learned the Breaking
Point. Akane had a
sneaking suspicion that Cologne had enjoyed swinging those
boulders into
her repeatedly. Two weeks, and she still hurt in a few
places.
The Trial Of The Heart.
"Did I win? I couldn't remember. It was like it was last
year right after
Ukyou came..."
Cologne smirked, oddly enough echoing Nabiki. "If you had
remembered it
was a Trial, then it wouldn't have been a true Trial. You
would have chosen
based on that knowledge instead of choosing truly. You
sacrificed your own
happiness and existence for the good of your family - your
own tribe.
"Welcome to the Amazon Tribe, daughter. Shampoo is not
happy, but will
come around. The Kiss of Marriage and the Kiss Of Death are
hereby voided
as there is now an Amazon with prior claim to Ranma
Saotome." Cologne left
then, to leave the two sisters to talk and to prepare the
feast that marked the
new induction of an Amazon. The Tribe would be stronger for
having Akane
in it. Though she would have preferred giving Shampoo what
she wanted,
Cologne would settle for this.
Akane nodded absently noting the reference. As Cologne was
Matriarch, all
Amazons could be said to be her daughters. It was
interesting to have a
"mother" of sorts again. The thought of calling Cologne
"grandmother" was
kind of creepy though.
"So, sis, how did it go? Cologne didn't give any details.
What did you see,
what did you experience?"
Akane looked at her sister with new eyes, having seen
things that remained
with her now and wondering how much of what she had seen had
been her
own mind filling in the blanks. She looked at her arm and
realized that a cut
there had been put on Akira by Kodachi's ribbon. "Nabiki, do
you remember
when you tried doing your own manga back in Junior High? I
think I need to
talk to you..."
*********************************
ending # 2 by Nicholas Leifker:
His hands hovered over the candy bars for a moment. It was
tempting, the
'Whoppers' especially so. After all, with those, he'd never
have to worry
about insults concerning her figure. 'Peppermint Patties'
and the Girl Scout
'Thin Mints' were also appealing, as they tended to point
toward more
feminine results.
Unfortunately, he couldn't go that route - not yet. If
there was one thing he'd
learned about magic from his time with Ranma, it was that it
didn't want to let
go. He would be changed, one way or another; it was just up
to him as to
how. The Akane Tendo who walked out of the store would be
different from
the Akane Tendo who first came in.
So. How did he want to change? He crossed his arms; he
knew there wasn't
much time left. Already he was beginning to forget. He had
to decide -
immediately.
The answer came on him in an instant. He smiled, grabbed
the item, and
placed it on the counter.
-----------------------
Akane Tendo hummed a soft tune as she walked down the
street. She was
back; no, she was better than back. She would have leapt up
onto the fence,
if she hadn't been wearing a skirt.
For the first time in her life, she felt truly alive. Her
life felt... expanded, like
all she had seen before was merely the surface. Every
little secret was hers
for the taking; the world was a far more understanding place
than she was
used to. Her life, in short, was hers again and then some.
The yowl of a furious cat got her attention, and she turned
toward the source.
A bunch of ragamuffin kids were torturing a cat; Shampoo by
the look of it.
She ran over to them, and pushed them away.
"Beat it, kids! Why don't you pick on someone your own
size?"
The kids, as are wont to in the face of authority, ran. One
gave her the
raspberry; she ignored it. Shampoo was her major concern;
she had to make
sure she was all right.
She frowned, though, when she got a look at Shampoo's face.
There was a
bandage covering her head, as though she had been hurt
before. She peeled
off the bandage - it was loose from her struggles - and
gasped.
Beneath was a shining crescent moon.
Shampoo-neko blinked, then focused her eyes on her - a stare
that seemed to
pass through her. "Akane, we need talk. Now."
*********************************
ending suggested by Rick Robinson: (even though it went in
a completely
different direction than either of us intended. It is,
however, a fairly typical
Spells R Us style of ending.)
The door jangled and in walked Ranma and his fiancee.
"So you were serious, Akira?" Nabiki frowned slightly,
trying to picture her
older brother as a younger sister and failing.
"You make fun of me turnin' into a girl all the time, and
you are one."
Ranma shook his head. "That's just too ....uhm."
"I think you're looking for 'ironic'," supplied Nabiki
after a moment. "Well,
whether you're sister or brother, you're family."
Akira shrugged after a moment. "Yeah, but this is somethin'
I gotta do
myself. I have to figure out a way that I'm as close to me
as possible without
screwing everything else up."
"Do you do wishes?" Ranma asked the man across the counter.
"Yes, but it wouldn't cure her of the transformation
directly."
"How about indirectly?" Ranma was familiar with the tactic.
If the opponent
had an iron defense, you found a way around it.
Everyone blinked at Ranma coming up with an idea. Nabiki
recovered
slightly faster, reasoning correctly that hanging around
with her, he had been
challenged to show more intelligence.
"Well, as long as it didn't involve a direct paradox, like
never having visited
the store." The wizard allowed, getting fascinated despite
himself. He placed
an object like a solid soap bubble out on the counter.
"Twenty thousand yen."
Ranma pulled out his recent winnings and laid them on the
counter. He
restrained himself from immediately wishing that he was
cured of his curse.
It was difficult, though, very difficult.
"So how should I word this to make it indirectly change me
back?"
"How about if ya wish that the cure for yer condition was
there in yer hand.
That way the wish is actin' on the cure and not on yer
curse."
There was a brief moment after which everyone (except
Ranma) slowly
picked themselves up from their mass face fault. Nabiki
smiled proudly at her
iinazuke and said in a low voice that "he CAN be taught."
The wizard shook his head and just reminded himself that it
was the
unexpected that kept him in this business.
Ranma managed to look slightly insulted at Nabiki's
observation.
Holding the soap bubble in his hands, Akira opened his
mouth and
considered. "I wish that everything was back to normal."
The wizard began to laugh, hearing defeat being snatched
from the jaws of
victory.
------------------------------
Akane stretched as she got off the couch, time to help
mother fix breakfast. It
was good that things had gotten back to normal.
The sounds of Kasumi getting ready for a day at the office
reached Akane,
and that was Nabiki almost sleepwalking with her toothbrush
sticking out of
her mouth.
Her father was, of course, off to work already. Like all
normal Japanese
fathers, he worked from before dawn until long after
sundown.
That weirdness that her father had tried to inflict on the
family had almost
been forgotten. A sad expression flickered over Akane's face
at the memory.
An arranged marriage to some weird old buddy's son had been
decidedly
strange.
Still, Akane's mother had put a stop to THAT soon enough.
Then made
some discrete inquiries and found the boy's mother through
the simple
exercise of finding out the woman's name and then calling
information.
Such a weird family. On finding out the boy was cursed to
turn into a girl,
the mother had demanded that father and son commit seppuku.
How terribly
old fashioned.
It had taken weeks to get the bloodstains out of the dojo.
But now everything was back to normal, and Akane could try
to meet Tate-
chan later. He didn't seem to notice anyone as normal and
boring as her, but
Akane had her hopes.
***********************
ending #4 suggested by Jared Ornstead:
Akira picked up the "Debbie Does Dallas" videotape and
considered it.
Would this turn him into a gaijin? Akira put the video back
on the shelf, as
remaining a member of his family was an important
consideration.
"Gojira" was likewise passed over, though this version of
the familiar story
seemed to look rather more like an oversized iguana. "Alien"
was probably
about gaijin, and was turned down for the same reason as the
"Dallas" video.
"Better off dead" didn't sound appealing at all.
Finally he saw it. One of his favorite movies. A Disney
version of the old
story.
Akira put his hand on the copy of "Beauty & The Beast" and
cast another
glance around the store. Other than the "princess" costume,
nothing else
really seemed to pull at him.
Maybe he could get Ranma to watch it with him. That sounded
like a winner.
------------------------
The wizard checked around eight that evening and smiled at
the results.
Naturally, it had gone quite well by his own standards, if
not by any of the
principals in this little play.
Ranma, of course, had become the Beauty. A demure and well
built young
woman. Akira, of course, was the Beast.
He just loved a twisted ending.
**********************************
ending #5: suggested by Connie Decker
Akira wondered what to do and how to do it. Being a
nineteen year old boy
was rather unnerving for a formerly sixteen year old girl
named Akane.
Akira's gaze alighted on the Girl Scout cookies. This might
work. There
were actually three kinds here. "Thin Mints" sounded good,
after all he
wouldn't have to watch his weight. The second kind contained
coconut,
which he had gotten rather sick of after the Principal had
donated nearly a ton
of the stuff to the school cafeteria. They were putting it
in almost everything.
Akira was unfamiliar with the name of this last kind of
cookie. Opening the
box, he tried one. After all it wouldn't take effect until
after it was paid for,
right?
------------------------
Alysse steadied herself against the kitchen cupboard and
realized that the
Spells R Us wizard must have done something, but what?
Losing herself in the familiar task of preparing lunches,
Alysse (short for
Alyssande) realized that she had taken a nibble out of a
Girl Scout cookie
called a "Scandinavian" but that this probably hadn't had
much of an effect.
She examined herself, looking for anything that might have
changed. No,
she was still eleven years old, and of Scandinavian descent.
She was still the
adopted daughter of Soun Tendo, adopted due to an old debt
of honor that
Soun had owed her parents.
Alysse caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, of her
long blonde hair and
piercing blue eyes. Things that marked her as being an
outsider here in Japan,
though she was sufficiently charismatic that she had some
popularity
anyway.
She had become accepted by her new family, though, and that
was of
primary importance.
Alysse could see Ranma and big sister Nabiki beating the
stuffings out of
Ranma's father. Kasumi was studying, now in her second year
of college.
Alysse was glad that she had been able to take over Kasumi's
duties so that
the older girl could go ahead and pursue her dreams.
Yes, Alysse decided with a nod, she must have gotten it
right.
**************************
*************************
possible ending #6 by SKJAM!
the Baby Ruth ending...
"Oh, Akane-chan, you want to look at the pictures?"
"Gah! Pit-chers!" Akane hated having a limited
vocabulary. It was nearly as bad as being a cat.
Kasumi picked up her baby sister, put her on her lap
and
opened the photo album.
The first one was of Kasumi, Nabiki and...Mother? But
this was
obviously taken when the girls were teens! "Mama?"
"That's right, dear. Mama. This was a couple of years
ago,
before you were born."
"Mama...way-ah?"
Kasumi looked sad. "She's in Heaven now, Akane. She
passed away
shortly after you were born. thank goodness I was old enough
to quit
school so I could look after you."
Akane felt bad. At least Kasumi had a little freedom
in the real
world. Here, she was stuck taking care of a baby all the
time.
The next page had some pictures of Ranma.
"Wan-ma!"
"Very good, Akane-chan! He's going to marry Nabiki
some day, you
know."
Akane frowned.
"Now, now, someday when you grow up, I'm sure you'll
have a nice
husband."
There was a strikingly embarrassing photo next.
"Oh, this is from the time Shampoo used that amnesia
trick on
Ranma, and he thought he really was a girl, and your mommy!
You were so
angry when you found out he didn't have any milk after all.
But Nabiki
made a mint off selling copies of this picture. *ahem* Not
that I
approve, of course..."
**********************
ending #7 also by SKJAM! (alternate seifuku ending)
the half moon ending
Akane pulled out her, or rather, Usagi's diary, and
started
writing.
"Pros: I'm human, female and engaged to Ranma. Boy,
feels funny
putting that in the `pro' category. I have a bunch of new
friends, and
magical powers, and I'm a princess!
"Cons: My name is now Usagi, I have a reputation as a
airheaded
crybaby, my grades are in the toilet, and with constant
monster attacks
there's not much chance I'll be bringing them up any time
soon. Plus,
half of my new friends are after Ranma too, and none of my
old rivals
went away! And I'm lousy at martial arts unless I'm in
Senshi mode.
Bummer. Still can't cook, and clumsy and more flat-chested
than ever. And
when I slapped that Rei girl back, I thought she would burst
into tears
right there! Wish I'd seen more than five episodes of Sailor
Moon
before...."
**************************
ending #8, suggested by a visit to a local store
"Sobe beverages, 'Zen Blend'." Akane looked at the
label on the tea and wondered about the contents briefly.
She
was really good at English, but some of the writing here
looked
to be a _completely_ different language.
What the heck was a 'schizandra' anyway? The yin/yang
symbol with the little lizards was kind of cute, but Akane
set the
bottle back anyway.
There was a sudden impulse to buy the bottle of 'Wisdom'
then forcefeed it to Ranma, but Akane restrained herself.
She
paused for a moment, wondering if there was a way to do it
so
that THIS Ranma stayed around. You could see him struggle to
keep from speaking until he'd thought about it. THAT trait
was
one she'd often wished the real Ranma had.
Turning, Akane's eyes caught something she had missed
before. Now THIS was perfect. Nestled between a box marked
'Mandarin Orange Spice' tea and something called 'Passion
Spice
instant ramen' it had obviously been hidden.
And it was so simple that nothing could possibly go
wrong with it, too. Her hand passed over the box of 'Swiss
Miss
cocoa mix' as she lifted the target box and remembered the
event depicted on the box. Ranma had been _such_ a jerk, but
there _had_ been a payback.
"Ah, 'Ranma and Juliet', how did that get left out?" The
shopkeeper looked puzzled briefly. "Must be fate."
-------------------
"ANOTHER fiancee, Ranma?" Nabiki glared at her iinazuke,
even
knowing that he hadn't known about this himself.
"What did you sell me for this time, old man?" Ranma
rubbed his
forehead and tried to imagine what life would have been like
if his
father knew how to practice self-restraint.
"It was a question of honor. I was swimming the Sea of
Japan when
a storm came up. I was exhausted and would have drowned but
for a
passing yacht owned by a kind young man."
"So you promised him your firstborn son or something
like that?"
Nabiki's cold glare swept over Genma.
"Uhm, more or less."
The newly arrived girl, Juliette Forbes, blew a bubble
briefly
before winking at the crowd.
******************************
ending #9 is a happier(?) alternate for #3:
The wizard shook his head and just
reminded himself that it was the unexpected that
kept him in this business.
Ranma managed to look slightly insulted
at Nabiki's observation, not that he wouldn't
admit that he wasn't as mentally nimble as his
iinazuke. Yet.
Holding the soap bubble in his hands,
Akira opened his mouth and considered. Biting back
the temptation to just blurt something out, Akira
tried to consider this as carefully as THIS Ranma would.
"What's wrong, Akira?" Nabiki asked after a
moment of silence.
"A cure for what is the question." Akira shook
his head at their confusion. "No, I still remember being
Akane. The thing is, how do I phrase this so that it is
the _right_ cure? You've seen how many cures Ranma's gone
after that have turned out poorly."
"Good point," said Ranma and Nabiki simultaneously.
The two then stared at each other for a moment before
grinning.
Akira just shuddered at the sight. "ANYWAY. I wish
that the cure to return me to being Akane Tendo, as close as
possible to the way I was when I first entered this store,
but without erasing the insights I've gained since then,
were here in my hand."
The bubble burst, leaving a videotape in her hands.
Akira stared briefly at it. "What? 'An Akane To Remember'?"
-----------------------
Akane got up and shut the tape off, a thoughtful
expression on her face. Opening the door, she found Ranma
and Nabiki waiting impatiently.
"Well? Did it work?" Ranma looked a little anxious.
"It's only about halfway through. I wanted to think
about what I've seen some more." Akane blinked.
"Did it..." Ranma and Nabiki threw a panicked and
sorrowful glance at each other, each reaching a hand out for
the other as they faded from view.
Akane looked at the spot they had been standing on
for a moment, a miniscule frown marking her face. A quick
search revealed Nabiki sneaking pictures of an unconscious
and drenched Ranma in the backyard.
Kasumi was in the kitchen, Soun and Genma were playing
shogi. A quick peek under the house revealed Sasuke. She
waved
at the ninja, who essayed a wave back.
An hour later, Akane sat back on her bed. Everything
was
back to normal, as near as she could tell. Kasumi was
oblivious
to anything outside her home and most of what was in it,
Nabiki
was only concerned with making a buck through the least
amount
of effort, her father and Mr. Saotome were mainly concerned
with playing shogi and "getting their stubborn children
together",
Ukyou and Shampoo had still been affected by Mousse's use of
Passionate Spice (having misread the label and trying to get
Shampoo with Passion Spice) so both of those rivals were
still
even more emotionally unstable than ever and wearing
wraparound
sleeves. At least this was keeping them away from explosive
devices. Even with the failed wedding attempt (thanks to
that
idiot Ranma chasing after the Spring Of Drowned Man water),
this
was better than the time Shampoo had tried a Xi Fang Gao
attack
on Ukyou and Ukyou had become absolutely convinced that she
was
the real Akane Tendo. Yes, everything was just the way it
was
supposed to be.
Akane looked at the tape still sitting in her VCR and
asked
herself why she didn't feel satisfied.
end, roll credits.
thanks for reading
gregg
-----------------------------
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metro...@mindspring.com
"Still searching, still hoping, still alone."
-N.Brazil