[Ranma][FanFic][Lime] Childhood of a Modern Dynasty - Chapter 25: The Long, Hard Road to Love
Jim Lazar
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty
Chapter 25: The Long, Hard Road to Love
Ranma 1/2 characters/situations created and copyright by Rumiko
Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz - Used without permission
Childhood of a Modern Dynasty series created, written, and
copyright 1998-1999 by Jim Lazar
An ongoing series set after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga and anime.
<Speech text in angle brackets is thought by character.>
"Speech text in double quotes is spoken as Japanese."
E-mail comments and/or criticisms to: mailto:jiml...@earthlink.net
Make sure to check out my Modern Dynasty website for
all released CMD stories, graphics files, and other information:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar/anime/md
=======================================================================
This chapter is probably a little more suggestive than the other lime
chapters of CMD.
=======================================================================
>From the personal journal of James Davidson:
October 18, 2057
I waved to Akane as I walked up to her newly repaired house. She
was sitting on the porch looking a little tired. Well, I guess since
Sanma was human again, she must have been busier than normal. How a
woman of her age keeps so active is beyond me.
I reached the porch and smiled. "Good morning." I leaned down and
kissed her cheek.
Suddenly, Akane wrapped her arms around my neck. "Don't fight it
anymore, James! We were meant to be together," she said in a low
seductive voice.
"Akane! Stop it!" I tried to pull away, but I was caught in a
viselike grip. "I'm married to your grand-niece for goodness sake!!"
"Oh, like that matters... you know I don't believe in stopping at
one husband."
I cried out as her lips reached for mine. "Akane!!"
"Are you hitting on my husband again?"
I looked to my side to see Akane standing in the doorway to the
house. "Huh?" I looked back and forth between the two Akanes and
realized my mistake. "You could have told me who you were, Sanma."
The Akane on the porch, who was actually Sanma, smiled devilishly.
"Yeah, but where would the fun be in that?"
I sighed and then looked at the real Akane. "Good morning." We
exchanged cheek kisses.
"Morning, James. Don't worry about Sanma, he likes to kid around
when he's me."
"I don't!" Sanma insisted. "By the way, James, your lips are so
smooth." She held her hand tenderly to the cheek I kissed and fluttered
her eyelashes.
I smiled. "That's what Hanaki has always told me."
"But Akane's lips are better."
I scrunched up my face as if thinking. "Yeah... they are."
Sanma glared at me. "You know, I could kill you without lifting a
finger."
Akane put calming hands on both of our shoulders. "Now, boys,
behave yourselves and I'll make something special for lunch."
"He started it."
"Yummy." Sanma rubbed her stomach.
Akane, the real one, bent down and kissed herself. Well that's what
it looked like to me. "I'll be back around noon to cook. Don't let Sanma
boss you around, James."
"Huh?"
Akane smiled. "I have a class this morning, so Sanma is going to
tell you one of his stories."
"Okay, I've been wondering what became of 'Red-chan' and Ukyo." I
noticed a frown appear on Akane's face... both of them. "Something
wrong?"
Sanma spoke. "No... it was just a painful time. Well, enjoy beating
up your students, Sparky." She smiled at her wife.
"I will." Akane leaned down and gave Sanma another goodbye kiss and
then walked away.
I watched her leave and then turned back to Sanma. "I hope I didn't
bring up some painful memories."
"You did, but that's one of the reasons Akane wants me to tell you
this story. She came to terms with these events long ago, but they still
hurt her. *I* hurt her."
***********************************************************************
August 10, 1999 - Southern, Japan
Sanma, still in his cat form, slept peacefully on top of Ukyo's
chest and purred as she stroked his back. Ukyo stared at the fabric that
made up her tent. For some reason, she couldn't seem to fall asleep on
that warm August night.
She heard the nearby river calling her again with its gentle sounds
of cool water rushing over the rocks. She sighed and rose to a sitting
position, being careful to cradle the sleeping cat in her lap. "Well, no
use lying here staring at that stupid ceiling."
Sanma opened his eyes as Ukyo rose from her sleeping mat and placed
him on the ground. She grabbed a few things and opened the tent to
leave.
"Come on, Red-chan."
Sanma followed, uncertain where they were going.
-C- -M- -D-
Ukyo jumped into the river and made a big splash. "Ahhhh.... that
feels so good!!"
On the shore, Sanma was crouched low and had his paws over his eyes
to avoid seeing the naked woman splashing around in the river.
"Red-chan, don't you want to join me?" Ukyo smiled, knowing that
cats didn't like water. <Kind of like how Ranma always hated water...
for a different reason, of course.> She giggled at her joke.
Ukyo finished washing up and then climbed out of the river. She
leaned down and picked up the cat. "There... all clean." She cradled
Sama in her naked bosom.
Sanma squirmed and tried to get out of the embarrassing position he
found himself in. In his attempt to get out from between her breasts, he
accidentally extended his claws and scratched her.
"Ouch!" By reflex, Ukyo dropped the cat.
Sanma tumbled from her bosom and ended up sliding into the river.
Before Ukyo's startled eyes, the cat transformed into a...
"What? A baboon?!" Ukyo stared at the baboon sitting in the shallow
water.
<Huh?> Sanma looked down as his body and saw that he had
transformed. <I'm... I'm... a monkey!!> He screeched loudly and hopped
out of the river.
***********************************************************************
>From the personal journal of James Davidson:
October 18, 2057
"A baboon?" I asked, looking at Sanma. Try as I might, I couldn't
picture her as a baboon. Of course, she looked like Akane now. Maybe
when Sanma looked like herself...
"Yeah, well... they can't all be cute, you know."
"I take it..."
A female voice interrupted me. "It's rough having a monkey for an
uncle."
We looked around to see a giggling Hanaki walk up to us.
"A baboon is a mighty ape, not a monkey!" Sanma insisted.
"Whatever you say, Uncle." Hanaki gave Sanma a quick peck and then
sat down beside me after giving me a much longer kiss. "Akane suggested
I'd better keep an eye on my uncle. He isn't picking on you, is he?"
"Nope. Well... not too much."
"Hanaki, your husband's lips are very soft," Sanma casually
commented.
I glared at Sanma. "It was just a cheek peck."
"I know you think you're hot stuff, Uncle, but keep your lips off
my husband." Hanaki grinned at Sanma.
I laughed and then looked over at Sanma. "I take it the baboon is
one of those forms you hate worse than being a pig?"
Sanma nodded.
"That must have been very surprising for Ukyo."
Sanma smiled. "Yup. She was very amazed that a cat could get a
baboon curse. If she had known what else I would become, she would
consider the baboon to be a bit... normal in comparison."
"How soon until she realized that it was you, Sanma?"
"Not too long after that, but I may have been better off as a
baboon in retrospect."
***********************************************************************
August 10-September 22, 1999 - Southern Japan
Ukyo crouched down on the shore and watched the baboon pull itself
out of the water. "A curse? How... well, I guess animals can fall into
the springs too. It's not like I haven't seen stranger things." She
studied the baboon for a few moments. "So you're cursed, huh? Must be
really strange for a cat to change forms like that without knowing why
it's happening."
Sanma heard her words, but at the moment was more concerned with
the horror he saw on his body. <That has got to be the biggest ass I've
ever seen!> He craned his neck over his shoulder and stared at his
backside which, in addition to being quite huge in relation to the rest
of his body, was also dark red in color. <At least my other forms are
cute... even the pig. This is so embarrassing. I doubt Ukyo will want me
around now.>
Ukyo held out a hand to the baboon. "Coming, Red-chan?"
Sanma stared at Ukyo in amazement.
Ukyo giggled. "You look just like Ranma with that idiotic look on
your face. Come on... I'll get you some hot water."
Sanma shut his mouth. <What does she mean... idiotic look?> He
walked forward and took Ukyo's hand. It was then that he was once again
treated to a spectacular view of the naked Ukyo. Being a normal, healthy
young... baboon, Sanma's body reacted to the stimulating sight.
Ukyo blushed. "Oh my. Is it mating season for baboons? Just my luck
that the first guy I met on this trip is a baboon." She took one last
look at the baboon's backside, which had become engorged with blood
making it turn bright red. "Well, I guess that old guy who hit on me
yesterday was a baboon too." She smiled at her joke and took the
baboon's hand and walked the short distance to her cart.
Sanma tried to avoid looking at Ukyo as they walked. <I can't
believe how understanding she is. I would've probably freaked if a horny
baboon reacted like that. At the very least, I'd have pounded his furry
face in.>
-C- -M- -D-
Ukyo, now dressed in a robe, pulled the boiling pot of water off
her cart's stove and walked over to the baboon. "This might be a little
hot, but don't worry, Red-chan."
Even though he knew it wouldn't do anything, Sanma sat motionless
waiting for the water. <I guess I'm cursed to go though a series of
transformations now. One after the other. I wonder what I'll be next?
Well, it seems to be a few days or so before the cold water will change
me again, so I'll have to get used to life as a baboon for a little
bit.> He felt the hot water flow over him. He let out a slight yelp at
the temperature, but otherwise wasn't affected.
"Huh?" Ukyo frowned and poured more water over the baboon. "That's
odd. I thought for sure that it was the curse that changed you. Well, no
big deal. You seem to be handling the change okay."
Sanma sighed. <What choice do I have? All I can do is wait and see
what'll I be next. Will I ever be human again? Is there a cure for this
series of curses?>
"Well, let's get to bed. But no monkey business tonight. Okay, you
horny little thing?" Ukyo chuckled and crawled into her tent.
Sanma hesitated and then crawled in after her. As usual, he
listened to her pour out her soul to him as they drifted off to sleep.
<At least she doesn't cry herself to sleep anymore. I considered her my
best friend before, but I'm just starting to realize that I really
didn't know her at all. Ever since we've started traveling together,
I've seen her go from sadness to joy. I hope there is a happy ending for
her, she deserves it.>
-C- -M- -D-
"Red-chan, behave yourself!" Ukyo cried out as she tried to spread
his legs. "You're not making this any easier!"
Sanma squirmed trying to get away from Ukyo. <I feel sorry for her,
but I draw the line at this!>
Ukyo did a quick flip and sat on the baboon's chest. She snared one
of his flailing legs and went to work. Her head bobbed as she fought the
wriggling baboon's attempts to escape.
Her head jerked up and she smiled when her job was done. "There!
That's wasn't so bad, was it?" Ukyo got up and admired her handiwork.
"Perfect. For the first time, it's pretty good."
Sanma looked down at the diaper Ukyo had put on him and sighed.
<This is so degrading.>
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma used a stick to write his name in the dirt. Now that he had
hands that could grip, he could actually tell Ukyo who he was.
Ukyo noticed what he was doing and came over. She stared at the
characters for a few moments. "I... am... a horse?" She looked at the
baboon oddly. "You one of those smart apes they train to write and
stuff?"
Sanma shook his head and pointed at his writing again. <Horse? That
clearly says SANMA.> He scratched his diaper. <This stupid thing
itches.>
"Well, that's very good for a monkey, but even Ranma's handwriting
is better than that!"
Exasperated, Sanma blew air out of the side of his mouth.
Ukyo giggled. "But not by much."
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma sat on the roof of the okonomiyaki cart and sulked. <Stupid
diaper.>
"Come on Red-chan, cheer up. I'll make you a squid okonomiyaki if
you can attract some customers for me." Ukyo smiled sweetly at the
baboon.
Sanma tugged on the diaper. <Stupid safety pins... I can't get out
of this thing with my big fingers.>
Ukyo sighed. "You still upset over the diaper? It's only so people
don't freak about the big hairy monkey being so close to the food."
Sanma grunted.
"Please?" Ukyo looked at the baboon with pleading eyes.
Sanma sighed. <Damn, why can't I resist that look?> Sanma got up
and did a few back flips down the length of the roof.
"That's my monkey-boy."
-C- -M- -D-
Ukyo counted her take for the past week and giggled. "Red-chan, you
are a golden monkey!" She leaned over and gave the baboon a kiss on his
forehead.
Sanma smiled. <It's odd, but I've been enjoying myself on this
little trip. Maybe it's because I can see how happy Ukyo has become.> He
looked over at Ukyo and then rolled his eyes when he saw that she was
rolling around in the money. <Although she's a little to much like
Nabiki as far as money is concerned.>
Ukyo finished her frolicking and put the money into the cart's
hidden safe. She slipped under her sheets and then patted the sleeping
mat beside her. "Come on, Red-chan, bedtime."
Sanma lay down beside Ukyo. They slowly drifted off to sleep,
wrapped in each other's arms.
-C- -M- -D-
Ukyo strolled down the road, taking a drink from a bottle. "So,
Red-chan... we've got the day off, what do you want to do?"
<Become a man... or at least a woman again. What's with this new
curse? It seems to take a different amount of time each time before the
next curse activates. It's been close to three weeks now since I got
this big ass.> He glanced back at his rear end. <Well, at least now the
diaper covers it.>
"Why are you always looking your own ass, Red-chan? Isn't mine
better?" Ukyo giggled.
They walked a bit further until a small furry animal walked across
the path. Suddenly, Ukyo found herself with a face full of fur when a
terrified baboon jumped into her arms.
"Red-chan! Ppffffttttt... It's just a little cat!" Ukyo turned her
head and spit out some hair. "Come on! You're acting just like Ran...
ma..."
Sanma's eyes went wide. <At last! She realizes who I am!> He nodded
his head emphatically.
"No... that's silly. How could a baboon be..."
The cat in front of them meowed, causing Sanma to cling to Ukyo
tighter. The water bottle Ukyo was holding slipped from her grip and
splashed water over the baboon's hairy back. A flash of light
momentarily blinded Ukyo.
Ukyo suddenly found her face pressed against a hairless chest and
had trouble holding on with the sudden increase in weight. Her legs
suddenly gave out and she crashed to the ground. "Ouch..."
When she opened her eyes, she saw a mass of dark-red hair leading
into a pigtail. "Huh?" She shifted the body that was lying on top of her
and gasped when she saw his face. "Ranma?!"
Sanma blinked his eyes. "What... oh no, what am I now?"
"Ranma, where did you come from?"
Sanma frowned. "Ranma?" He looked down at his body and couldn't
believe his eyes. "Alright!! I'm a guy again!!"
"Ranma, I don't know what's going on... but could you get off me?"
It was at that point that Sanma realized he was lying on top of
Ukyo. He blushed at the feeling of her body under his. "Err... sorry."
He got up and then checked his body out. "Fantastic!! I thought I'd be
stuck going through life as a different animal of the week!"
Ukyo stood up and brushed off her clothes. "What the heck is going
on?"
Sanma smiled. "First, I'm Sanma." Ukyo opened her mouth to speak.
"Yes, I know I'm a man... ain't it great?!" He grinned broadly.
"You got the curse back?" Ukyo looked at Sanma and was unable to
restrain her laughter when she saw that he was wearing the baboon's
diaper. Since it wasn't exactly the right size for a man, it now looked
more like a thong than a diaper.
"Yeah... sort of." Sanma gave Ukyo a big hug. "Thank you! Now all I
have to do is never take another bath for the rest of my life and avoid
all forms of water."
"Sanma... what are you talking about?"
Sanma smiled and slipped his hand around Ukyo's shoulder. "It's a
long story. I'll tell you all about it over dinner. Alright, baby?"
"Err... sure." Ukyo let herself be led away. <Baby?>
The forgotten cat sniffed a bush by the path. It dug into the
foliage and exposed a long slender arm. It licked the arm a few times
before deciding it wasn't something to eat. The cat scurried off in
search of something to fill its empty stomach.
-C- -M- -D-
Ukyo giggled. "So you were S-chan?"
Sanma nodded. He was dressed in a spare set of clothes that Ukyo
had in the cart. Fortunately for Sanma, it was one of her more masculine
outfits. "Yeah... and it's not funny!" He took a bite of his
okonomiyaki.
Ukyo tried to restrain herself, but still looked ready to break out
laughing at any second. "I'm sorry. Wow... that's some story. Why didn't
you try to let us know who you were?"
Sanma grunted. "I tried. I tried and tried. But everyone always saw
me as an animal and made up excuses for my attempts. Like being a smart
ape?"
"Well, maybe if you learned to write neater..." She lost her battle
and burst out laughing.
Sanma huffed.
"Well, maybe we should head back to Nerima tomorrow?"
Sanma nodded. "Why? Things are okay as they are."
Ukyo frowned. "Don't you want to go back to Akane?"
"I think she has enough on her mind right now. I'd rather wait to
break up with her until after Ranko's baby is born."
Ukyo's jaw dropped.
-C- -M- -D-
In a small cabin in another part of the woods, a figure stirred. A
pair of long slender arms stretched and then threw back the sheets. The
young woman rose and then noticed her naked bosom. "Eeeekkk!" She
covered herself quickly and then looked around. "Where am I?"
Not seeing any clothes nearby, she wrapped the sheet around her
body and stood up. She looked out the windows, but didn't recognize
where she was. "Hello, is anyone here?" she called out loudly.
An inner door opened and a tall burly man walked in from the main
room of the cabin. "Oh... you're awake." He casually slipped his arm
behind him to hide the camera he was carrying. As he walked towards the
bed, he hid the camera behind a chair cushion. "I'm Mitsuru."
"Where am I?"
"In my cabin. I found you in the woods."
"Where are my clothes?"
"You weren't wearing any."
She eyed the big man suspiciously. "So... you saw... everything?"
She blushed.
The man tried to look innocent. "Yeah... but I had no choice. You
were unconscious."
She buried her head in her hands. "Oh... no, now I'll never be able
to get married!" She started to cry.
"Err... it wasn't a big deal... I mean..."
Suddenly the girl gasped. "Oh no! Was Ukyo out there too?"
"Ukyo? You were alone, miss."
"I've got to go find her." She started walking towards the door,
but the room started to spin around her. "Oh my..."
The man took hold of her and guided her back to the bed. "You
should rest until you're better."
"But my friend..."
"I'll go outside and look for her for a bit, but it's getting late
so it might be morning before we can do a proper search." The woman
didn't notice the small smile that appeared on his face, which is
commonly known as a leer.
"Oh... okay."
"I'll be back shortly. Um... what was your name anyway?"
The redheaded girl smiled. "Sanma... Sanma Saotome."
-C- -M- -D-
"Sanma! What do you mean?!" Ukyo cried out.
"Oh, don't act like you didn't notice how happy she was with Ranko.
She's never going to want to marry Ranma or me."
Ukyo couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sanma, she does love
you. I know she does. These are the same concerns you had in China."
"No... It's different."
"Why?"
"Because I love you, Ukyo."
Ukyo shuddered. "No..." She shook her head. <Don't do this to me
again, Sanma. Don't give me false hope. Not again. Not after what I just
went through with Ryoga.>
"Yes..." Sanma leaned in.
"This is not funny, Sanma! I've just gotten out of a relationship
that ended badly. I don't need this crap now!" She tried to move away,
but Sanma grabbed her wrist.
Sanma looked into her eyes. "I love you. After spending all this
time with you, I can see that clearly now. I could see the love in your
actions too."
"You were a cat and a baboon! I didn't know you were you!"
A charming smile appeared on Sanma's face. "Don't fight it,
Ucchan." He leaned in and gave the startled Ukyo a firm kiss on her
trembling lips. After the kiss ended, he cupped her cheek in his hand.
"Now, tell me you love me."
Tears were pooling in Ukyo eyes. "I... do. You know I always
have... but something's wrong with you."
"Only if love is wrong." He leaned in and gave Ukyo a longer kiss.
Ukyo got lost in the sensation and parted her lips to admit Sanma's
tongue. A part of her knew it was wrong, but her body was lost in the
moment.
-C- -M- -D-
"Come on, just a few pictures..."
Sanma glared at the man and cringed back into the corner further.
She held the sheet tightly to her bosom. "No! Only bad girls do that!!"
"Sweetheart... you can't expect to stay in my cabin for free. You
have to pay."
"No!"
-C- -M- -D-
"No... Sanma..."
"I love you..."
"Sanchan..."
-C- -M- -D-
Mitsuru grimaced in pain as Sanma's knee connected with his groin.
She then applied the palm of her hand to his jaw. He flew away from her
and crashed into the far wall.
"Oh my... did I do that?" Sanma looked at her own hands in awe.
Mitsuru grunted and stirred from where he had fallen. "Bitch... I
would have taken it easy on you, but now..." He rose to his feet,
holding a knife that he had pulled from a holster strapped to his leg.
Sanma cringed back. "No... please don't. I'm a virgin." She held
her hands up in front of her.
"All the better..." He took one step before a blue ball of chi hit
him. He dropped to the ground, smoke rising from his burned clothes.
Sanma looked at the blue energy that lingered on her fingers for a
few seconds before dissipating into the air. "How did I do that?" She
decided that leaving was probably a good idea, so she scurried past the
groaning man and made her way outside.
She looked around the dark forest she found herself in and clutched
the sheet tightly. "Now where was Ukyo's cart?" She started walking,
wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm.
-C- -M- -D-
Ukyo lay under Sanma and felt the sweat drip off his body with each
movement of his body. "Oh... Sanma."
Sanma ran his hand down her body and began to undo her shirt.
Ukyo gasped when the cold night air assailed her chest and brought
her to her senses. "No... Sanma, this is too fast." She pulled her shirt
closed.
Sanma paused and looked Ukyo in her eyes. "That's not what your
body is saying."
"I... I know. But even if... this is really you, I can't just jump
into bed with you."
"We've been sleeping together for almost the last month."
"Well... yeah... but not like this."
"I understand." Sanma pulled back and sighed. He looked longingly
into Ukyo's eyes.
"Sanma..." Ukyo paused as she realized she really had no idea what
to say. "Let's just get some sleep.... um..." She glanced at the single
small tent attached to the cart.
Sanma smiled as he realized what Ukyo was worried about. "That's
okay... I'll sleep out here. I wouldn't trust myself if I was that close
to you." He winked.
Ukyo blushed. "Thanks." She walked over and opened the flap and
slid inside. "Goodnight," she said without looking back.
"Goodnight. I love you."
Ukyo paused, but then when inside and closed the tent flap. <What
is up with him? Whatever reactivated his curse is affecting his
personality.>
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma huddled against a tree, shivering from the cool night air.
She pulled the sheet tighter to her body. "Where's Ukyo?"
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma lay on the ground by the cart, shivering from the cold night
air.
Ukyo looked down at him with a confused look. After several
seconds, she slipped a blanket over him. "I do love you, Sanma... but I
think we're both fooling ourselves if we think it could ever work."
She turned around and returned to the tent to get some sleep, but
somehow she didn't think she would be getting much that night. She was
right.
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma and Ukyo pushed the cart down the old dirt road.
"Well, I've got to admit that this is easier with two people
pushing." Ukyo wiped her forehead off.
"Glad to help, babe." Sanma smiled at Ukyo.
Ukyo sighed. "Why are you acting so differently?"
"Why do you keep asking that? I'm not. The only difference is that
I'm a man now."
Ukyo giggled. "Ah! It's the testosterone then!"
"That's what I love to see."
"Huh?"
"I love to see you smile. When we first started on this trip, you
were always so sad and cried all the time. Now, I see that beautiful
smile and I want to make sure you never have to be sad again." He
reached out to touch Ukyo's cheek, but she shied away.
"No... you're not going to get me again. You've been affected by
whatever re-cursed you."
"It's not a curse... it's a blessing."
"Now I know you've lost it. The Sanma I know hated his curse and
everything it led to."
"This 'blessing' has led me to you, the woman I love." He touched
her cheek again.
Ukyo couldn't break away from his blue eyes this time. "Sanchan..."
She leaned in and was rewarded with a sweet kiss that flowed to every
part of her body. <I shouldn't be doing this...> That thought didn't
stop the kiss.
-C- -M- -D-
"Thank you, Mrs. Nimura." Sanma twirled around in the little
light-green dress and looked at her reflection in the full-length
mirror. "It's so cute."
"No problem, honey. You can help me around the shop to pay it off."
The middle-age woman smiled and walked back to the front counter of the
little clothing shop. "That must have been awful being lost in the woods
for two days."
"Yes, but I managed. I hope my friend Ukyo is okay."
"Well, I'll ask around. A girl with a okonomiyaki cart is going to
be a welcome change in this small town if she shows up."
Sanma smiled. "Wait till you taste it. It's the best."
"You sound like a good customer."
"Yup and her best friend!"
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma pulled Ukyo's shirt off and then started undoing the pants.
"Sanma!!" Ukyo cried out.
"What?"
Ukyo ducked her naked body under the water. "I may have offered to
let you bathe with me when you were a cat and a monkey... but not
anymore!"
Sanma looked at the naked woman in the river. "Such a shame." He
was smiling as he pulled his borrowed shirt back on and walked away from
the river.
Ukyo was blushing as she plunged her head under the water. <This is
my dream come true, but is it real? Do I dare give into my feelings and
let him into my heart again?> She gasped and shot to the surface. She
gasped for breath. <Maybe...>
-C- -M- -D-
"How may I help you?" Mrs. Nimura asked the young couple as they
came into the store.
"Um... my friend here needs some new clothes," Ukyo said, pushing
Sanma in ahead of her.
"Of course, I'll get my assistant to help you." Mrs. Nimura craned
her neck to look in the back of the store. "Oh, she must be taking a
break." She smiled and gestured towards the racks. "What did you have in
mind?"
"Red Chinese shirt and black pants. Three sets," Sanma said without
hesitation.
"And some underwear." Ukyo looked at Sanma. "We'll have to pick up
some shoes later."
Sanma nodded.
"Well, I have some Chinese style clothing in the back here." She
led them to the back of the store.
As they passed a mannequin, Sanma stopped and fingered the blue
dress hanging from it. "Ucchan... you'd look great in this."
Ukyo sighed. "We came to get you some clothes, not me."
"But it'd look good on you."
"You know I don't wear dresses."
"You should... you look gorgeous in them."
Smelling a sale, Mrs. Nimura smiled. "He's right. A beautiful young
woman like you shouldn't hide it."
Ukyo blushed. "Well..."
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma hummed as he walked down the street with Ukyo. He had a red
Chinese shirt on like he had always worn before. She had the blue dress
on and looked a little uncomfortable.
Ukyo touched the dresses hem hesitantly. "I don't know..."
Sanma smiled and took Ukyo's hand. "You look ravishing, Ucchan."
Ukyo blushed while adverting her eyes, but didn't try to pull her
hand away from Sanma's grip.
Behind them, a small redhead rushed into the clothing shop and
bowed to Mrs. Nimura. "Sorry I'm late... I kind of got held up by a
bunch of guys."
Mrs. Nimura smiled. "No problem, Sanma. Don't worry about the guys
around here, they're mostly harmless. The dating pool is so small that
they get excited over any fresh meat. And you are probably the cutest
thing they've seen in years."
Sanma blushed and hid her face in her hands.
Mrs. Nimura looked protectively at Sanma. <I'd better keep an eye
on her. A frail girl like her could get eaten alive by the wolves around
here.>
-C- -M- -D-
"Give me all the money in the cash register, old woman!" The young
punk brandished a knife in front of him menacingly.
Mrs. Nimura reached for the cash register with shaking hands.
"Okay... okay..." Her voice was even shakier.
The front door opened and Sanma walked in wearing her green dress.
"Good morning, Mrs. Nimura!"
"Sanma, run!!"
Sanma saw the robber and started to inch backwards.
"Don't move, bitch, or I cut the old lady!" He stepped closer to
Mrs. Nimura and held the knife to her throat.
"Don't hurt her!" Sanma blurted, her muscles tensing instinctively.
The robber looked at Sanma appreciatively. "Hmmmm... and I thought
that the money was the only treasure here."
Mrs. Nimura finished pulling the money out and put it into a bag.
"Here... just take it and leave."
"Oh... I'll leave." He pushed her down and then hurried to the
door. "Come on, Red, we're going to have a little fun!" He grinned
broadly.
"No... I've got to help Mrs. Nimura." Sanma made to go to her boss,
but the robber grabbed her wrist.
"Do as I say, or I'll hurt you both." He tilted the knife to drive
home his point.
"Don't..." Sanma muttered softly.
"Come on..." The robber left the store, pulling Sanma behind her.
Mrs. Nimura rushed out and grabbed the robber's jacket. "No...
don't hurt her!!"
"Let go!!" The robber swung the knife back at Mrs. Nimura. It never
reached her.
Sanma lashed out with her foot, knocking the knife out of the
robber's hand. Following up her kick, she swung back and landed a knee
to his gut. He dropped to his knees and Sanma pounded him across his
back with her elbows. He fell to his stomach with a muffled grunt and
lay still.
"Sanma?"
Sanma looked over at Mrs. Nimura. "Are you okay?"
Mrs. Nimura nodded. "Yeah... that was... impressive."
Sanma shrugged. "I just did what came naturally."
Mrs. Nimura starred at the small girl in front of her. "That was
natural to you?"
Sanma shrugged. "Yeah... it's creepy. My body just reacts."
Mrs. Nimura smiled. "Well, thank you."
"That was nothing... you should see it when fire comes out of my
hands. That's really something." Sanma smiled sweetly.
Mrs. Nimura stared blankly at Sanma.
-C- -M- -D-
Three weeks after Ukyo started traveling with Sanma, in human form
that is, Ukyo found herself unable to sleep. She slipped out of her tent
and dug out a bottle of milk from her cart's icebox. After drinking a
little, she returned the bottle and wiped her mouth off. She was
returning to the tent when she saw Sanma curled up on the other side of
the cart. He was shivering from the cold night air. <You can trust him,
can't you? It's been three weeks and he's never tried to force himself
on you... well, not really. He's just very... affectionate.>
It took her a while to answer her own question. "Sanma?" She
waited. "Sanma?"
Sanma opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Ukyo looking down at
him. "What a beautiful sight."
Ukyo blushed. "Um... I've been thinking. It's getting too cold to
sleep outside at night... do you want to sleep in the tent?"
Sanma smiled broadly. "Of course, babe." He started to rise.
Ukyo put her hand on his head to stop him. "Just sleep... nothing
else."
"Of course."
-C- -M- -D-
Ukyo awoke in Sanma's arms. "Huh?" She almost pounded him, but then
remembered that she had invited him in. <Well, I guess I can trust him
after all.> She looked at him for several moments before slipping out of
the tent.
As she stretched, she took a long breath of clean air. <Sanma
really has to find some way to take a bath. He's starting to smell
really bad.>
-C- -M- -D-
The tree exploded into tiny fragments. Sanma casually walked over
and picked one of the splinters of wood up and used it to pick his
teeth.
"You could have just bought toothpicks in the next town," Ukyo
dryly commented.
"Where would the fun be in that?"
"Say... can you try to teach me the Moko Takabisha again?"
Sanma looked skeptically at Ukyo. "Are you sure you want to? The
first time you tried..."
"Yeah, I know... I burned my hands. But I want to try again."
"Okay..." Sanma's tone of voice did not instill Ukyo with
confidence, which is the foundation of the Moko Takabisha, of course.
-C- -M- -D-
The chi ball sputtered and died between Ukyo's hands. "Damn..."
"No... that's okay. You're doing better. At least you're not
letting the energy get out of control and explode in your hands
anymore."
Ukyo looked down at the cooking mitts on her hands. "Maybe the
mitts are interfering?"
Sanma shook his head. "No, I've worn gloves before and they never
affected my blasts. The energy may have to flow through the gloves, but
it isn't hindered by it."
"I see." Ukyo nodded and tried to form a chi ball again. She
concentrated hard on what she was the most confidant about, her cooking.
The ball formed and slowly grew in intensity.
"Good... good... Now aim it with you hands and then give it a
'push' with your mind to release it."
Ukyo aimed towards the small tree with the bull's eye--which looked
suspiciously like a pig--painted on it and 'pushed' with her mind. The
chi ball flew from her fingers and impacted the ground about two meters
in front of her.
"Good! That's much better." Sanma walked up to her and gave her a
reassuring hug.
"But I didn't hit the target." Upset, Ukyo took off her cooking
mitts and threw them on the ground in disgust.
"That's okay. It takes time and practice to master the Moko
Takabisha."
"But you did it so fast."
"Do you really want to learn it like I did?"
Ukyo smiled lopsidedly. "No, I guess I don't want to look that bad
when I learn it."
"Good." A split second later, Sanma caught the insult. "Hey!!"
Ukyo smiled as she picked up her bandoleer. She fingered one of the
throwing spatulas and then pulled it out. "I've still got these babies."
Sanma smiled proudly at his student. "Good, never limit yourself to
one weapon."
Ukyo saw a spark flicker between her finger and the spatula. "Huh?"
She concentrated a bit and suddenly found the metal spatula glowing with
green energy. "Wow..."
"Interesting... you focused the energy on the spatula instead of in
midair. Try hitting the target." He gestured towards the tree.
"This is something I know how to do." Ukyo grinned and pulled back
her arm to throw it. "Ukyo's Flaming Spatula!" She tossed the spatula at
the tree with a flick of her wrist. The glowing spatula left a green
trail behind it as it shot towards the tree. It hit dead center on the
snout... target. A split second later the tree exploded.
Ukyo and Sanma were covered with pieces of wood.
"Wow..."
Sanma smiled proudly at his student. "Great, Ukyo! By focusing on
the spatula instead of in midair, you didn't have to focus as hard."
Ukyo smiled with pride. "You might want to work on the name, though."
Ukyo's face fell. "But I like the name..."
"It's your choice. You can work on charging your spatulas some
more, but don't give up on your other training."
"I won't."
"Good." Sanma leaned in and kissed her.
After the kiss broke up. "Um... Sanma?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll boil some hot water... you really are starting to smell bad."
"But I don't want to risk transforming..."
"You said yourself that hot water doesn't seem to affect you
anymore."
"Not that I know of..."
"It's either a hot bath for you or you sleep outside again." Ukyo
smiled devilishly.
"Well... a little hot water never hurt..."
"Smart man. Okay, now it's time for YOUR training."
"Huh? I know how to wash myself."
Ukyo shook her head. "Not that... this." She reached out and
grabbed her two giant spatulas from where they were resting against a
tree. In one movement, she flicked the smaller one at Sanma and then
readied the larger one. "Time for you to learn to use the combat
spatula."
Sanma looked uncertainly at the spatula in his hands. "Um... why?"
"Well, you're the one always saying not to limit yourself to one
weapon. So now I'm the teacher."
"Okay, but I already know everything there is to know about
fighting with weapons. The basics are always the same no matter what the
weapon is."
"Oh, really?" Ukyo grinned and swung her spatula at Sanma.
-C- -M- -D-
After washing himself with the hot water without incident, Sanma
pulled a clean shirt on. "Ahhh... that felt nice." He rubbed his face,
hoping the large spatula bruise had vanished, but he could still see the
mark in the little mirror that was propped up on Ukyo's cart.
"You decent?" Ukyo's voice asked from inside the tent.
"Most of the time."
"Very funny." Ukyo poked her head out of the tent and made sure
before taking too long of a look. "See, I told you shouldn't have
worried about hot water." She tried to keep a straight face and not
laugh at the mark on his face.
"Just being care..." Sanma felt a raindrop. "Huh?" He made a dash
for the tent, but by the time he reached it, he was soaked from the
sudden downpour of cold rain. He did a quick check of his body. "Still a
man." He grinned.
"Maybe the curse is gone. It's been pretty long since you last
transformed."
Sanma grabbed Ukyo and danced around in the rain with her. "Yup,
looks like it!!"
"Lucky you."
Sanma suddenly grew very serious. "No, lucky you." He gave her a
long kiss.
-C- -M- -D-
The hot water poured down Sanma's body. She ran her hands through
her long red hair and massaged the soap into it.
"Sanma, are you doing okay in there?" a voice called from outside
the bathroom.
"Yeah, thanks for letting me use your shower, Mrs. Nimura!"
"No problem, you should have told me you were sleeping in the park
all these nights."
"I didn't want to impose on you."
"Nonsense, you're the best salesgirl I've ever had. I'm going to
hate to see you go."
Sanma smiled at the compliment. "Me too, but I really have to get
back to Tokyo soon."
"Got a boyfriend back there?"
"Nope. But my friend's husband is expecting a baby soon, so I want
to get back before then."
Outside the bathroom, Mrs. Nimura frowned as she tried to figure
out that statement. <Sometimes I think that girl has a screw loose.>
-C- -M- -D-
Sanma waved goodbye to Mrs. Nimura from the window of the train.
She hated to leave, but she had earned enough to pay her back for the
dress and everything, get a ticket to Tokyo, and even have some pocket
change.
After the train left the station, she watched the scenery fly by
and turned down the various offers from the men and boys on the train.
"No, thank you, but I'm sure someone else would love to rub your pony."
The boy sulked as he walked away.
At the second stop, Sanma happened to glance outside. "Ukyo?" she
gasped when she recognized the cart on the far edge of the platform. She
grabbed her small bag and dashed off the train.
She ran towards the unattended cart, looking around frantically for
Ukyo. "Ukyo?!" She ran around the corner of the station building and
straight into someone's back. "Oh... I'm sorry." Then she noticed who
she ran into. "Ukyo!!" Then she blushed when she saw what Ukyo was
doing. "Oh my... tee hee."
Ukyo broke the kiss and turned around to find out who had run into
her. "Ranko? What the..."
Sanma smiled. "Silly, it's me, Sanma. I was so worried about you!"
Ukyo studied the young redhead for a few moments before she turned
around and punched the guy she had just been kissing. "Ranma, you jerk!
I don't know what the hell you're playing at, but you're okonomiyaki
toppings!!"
Sanma rubbed his chin and then frowned at seeing the redhead.
"Ranko?"
"I'm Sanma. Why are you kissing Ukyo, Ranma?"
The male Sanma looked very confused. "Huh? I'm Sanma."
Ukyo looked back and fourth between the two redheads. "Um... what's
going on here?"
-C- -M- -D-
"So I was on the train headed back to Tokyo when I saw your cart.
I'm so glad I've finally found you!" Sanma wrapped her arms around Ukyo
and hugged her closely. She then glanced at the male Sanma. "Why were
you kissing Ranma?"
"For the last time... I'm Sanma!!"
Ukyo put up a hand to silence him. "She listened to your story...
so hush up." She turned back to the female Sanma. "Well, the stories are
the same... sort of. You think you've been a girl your whole life?"
"I have."
Ukyo turned to the male Sanma. "And you remember having the recent
curses, but not the girl curse?"
"Of course, I've never been cursed to be a girl. Only Ranma was
until he was split in two earlier this year. He always was a klutz."
Ukyo looked at Sanma for several moments as she realized that she
had never thought to grill Sanma on his memories of his early life. <I
can't believe how blind I was to not question him. I just took his word
that he was Sanma and then let myself get into a relationship with him
even when I knew he wasn't acting like himself.> Ukyo shook her head
sadly. "Oh, Akane is going to lose it now. Four of you to marry."
The female Sanma blushed. "Ukyo, you know that Ranko is a lesbian,
but I'm not."
Ukyo frowned.
The male Sanma shrugged and looked at Ukyo's eyes. "And I've
already found someone else to love."
Ukyo blushed, but couldn't pull herself away from his piercing blue
eyes. <Damn, those eyes always get to me.>
"I love Akane, but that weird marriage would never work out. Ranma
and me knew it, but couldn't force Akane to choose between us. It was
her decision."
Ukyo gasped as she realized what must have happened. "Wait a
second... Sanma... err... I'll call you-" She pointed at the female
Sanma. "-San-chan and you-" She pointed at the male Sanma. "San-kun for
now. Okay?"
Both Sanmas nodded.
"San-kun, you said that you've been cycling through different
curses since you reactivated the spring in Jusenkyo, right?" San-kun
nodded. "Well, what if this is another curse?"
San-chan frowned. "Huh?"
"Spring of Drowned Twins."
San-kun and San-chan looked at each other oddly.
"Then why are our memories different?" San-kun asked.
"Well... I suppose your personalities split as well. That's why you
both have memories of being only male or female. Your love for Akane
split too, so maybe it's not as overpowering." She glanced at San-kun
and frowned. <That sort of explains why he's been so amorous since he
became a man.> She paused and then corrected herself. <Just call it what
it is, Ukyo... he's horny.>
"I don't know..." San-chan began. "I do love Akane, but like a
sister."
"Yeah, I love her too... but she made her choice. I've fallen for
you now, Ukyo. Don't shut me out." San-kun reached to touch Ukyo's cheek
with his hand, but she shied away.
"Don't... um... we've got to get you back together again. Let's get
some cold water." Even as Ukyo was saying that, she was wondering if she
really wanted that. <If San-kun truly loves me, then a part of Ranma
must have always loved me and that part is now concentrated in San-kun.>
"We already tried that," San-kun reminded Ukyo.
"I know, but I think we should try again with both of you."
"Okay, I'm not convinced this theory is correct, but I'll give it a
try for you, baby."
"Thanks... San-chan?"
"You're my best friend, Ukyo, I'll do anything you want me too."
"Me too." The steamy look San-kun gave Ukyo told her that the two
Sanmas had different things on their minds.
***********************************************************************
>From the personal journal of James Davidson:
October 18, 2057
"Um... not to question your story, but does love really work that
way? Splitting and all?"
Sanma shrugged. "I don't really know... do you?" I shrugged. "It
wasn't really a splitting of the love, but the reasons that I love Akane
were split. My girl side got the friendship that I felt for Akane and my
male side got the... well... um..."
I smiled at her discomfort. "Primal urges to jump her bones?"
Sanma smiled. "Yeah... that about sums it up. Basically, my male
side wasn't inclined to share Akane--we men are territorial by nature
after all--so he considered Akane out of his reach."
I raised my eyebrows at her deep comment. "Where did that deep
observation come from?"
"Well..."
Hanaki giggled. "Probably read it in a book or something."
Sanma looked embarrassed, something I didn't often see. Hanaki
seems to have a knack for getting the better of Sanma's outward smugness
and boasting.
"Anyway..." Sanma shot an annoyed look at Hanaki and received a
tongue in response. "I guess my girl side was the part of me that was
willing to share Akane, my male side wanted her to myself and since I
couldn't have that, I fell in love with Ukyo."
"Makes sense."
"Yeah... but I've had some time to think about it since then. At
the time, I wasn't thinking straight. My self-loathing after Ranko and
Akane's wedding, my worries that I might never be able to recover the
love of my life, and then the problems brought on by my new curse led me
down a path that surprised even me."
***********************************************************************
September 22-29, 1999 - Southern Japan
San-chan wiped the cold water off her face and wrung out her
T-shirt. "Sorry, Ukyo."
"It's okay, it's not your fault. San-kun?"
San-kun walked over to Ukyo, pulling off his Chinese shirt. "Ready,
willing, and able."
Ukyo was sure he wasn't just taking about the water and decided he
really could use a good cold shower, curse or not. "Okay..." She poured
a bucket of cold water over his head like she had done for San-chan.
Other than having two wet Sanmas now, there was no change.
"See, told you I was a man for good."
"Okay, let's try both at the same time." Ukyo handed both of the
Sanmas a bucket of water and stood back. "On three... One. Two. Three."
Two buckets tipped over two redheads. The result was the same, a
co-ed Sanma wet T-shirt contest.
Ukyo had mixed feelings about the failure. On one hand, she felt
bad that Akane might not be able to get her single Sanma back. <Suddenly
having two Sanmas that don't want to marry her is going to be quite a
blow to Akane.>
She looked at San-kun and blushed when he threw a kiss back at her.
<And what about that?> That was the other hand.
-C- -M- -D-
For lack of a better plan, the new threesome traveled together
towards Tokyo and got to know each other all over again.
Ukyo had made sure that San-chan slept between her and San-kun to
avoid any amorous feelings that might develop. The problem was, even
having San-chan next to her got Ukyo's imagination going. Especially
when she thought about Akane and all three Ranmas together. She had to
constantly remind herself that she couldn't start a little Sanma harem
like Akane had, but she wasn't sure why she couldn't. Well, other than
the fact that neither she nor San-chan were lesbians, of course.
One day, Ukyo was busy making an okonomiyaki for a customer when
San-chan bounded up to her. "Ukyo! Ukyo!"
Ukyo looked over at the energetic redhead. "Yes, San-chan?"
"I've got a date! Can I borrow your blue dress?"
Ukyo's jaw dropped. "A... date?"
"Yeah, this cute guy asked me out and he seems nice and he called
me pretty and..."
Ukyo interrupted the girl. "Um... I don't know if that's a good
idea, San-chan."
"Why, do you want to meet him first and see if he's okay?"
"No... that's not it. Remember that you aren't really a girl."
San-chan frowned. "But... but... I am one now. And he's really
cute."
Ukyo sighed. "Are you sure he's not just after your body?"
"I don't think so."
"I really don't know..."
"Please?"
"Well, have him come over so I can meet him." Inside, Ukyo cringed
at hearing her own words. <When did I become her mother?>
-C- -M- -D-
"No!"
"San-kun, the boy is very nice and respectful. If San-chan is stuck
as a girl, I don't see any harm in it. And San-chan does seem to be a
girl at heart."
San-kun grumbled. "Maybe... but I can't stand how she acts all
girlish all the time. It's embarrassing to think she was once part of
me."
Ukyo smiled. "Well, I can see traces of the Sanma you used to be in
her."
"No way, I was never that girlish!!"
-C- -M- -D-
A week later, they were halfway back to Tokyo. San-chan was on an
errand, so San-kun confronted Ukyo after dinner. "What's the matter,
Ucchan? You've been avoiding getting close to me since SHE arrived."
"San-kun... it was bad enough to let myself be drawn into that
relationship before, but now..."
"Now? Now I'm a single man and the curse isn't working anymore.
Just like when Ranko and Ranma split, there isn't anyway to recombine."
"Yes, but Akane..."
"...isn't here and made her choice when she married only Ranko. And
I've made mine... I love you, Ukyo." He leaned over and gave Ukyo a long
kiss.
Tears came to Ukyo's eyes and she found herself unable to reason
her feelings away with logic, even her logic that was skewed due to her
friendship with Akane. "I love you too, Sanma. I can't deny it anymore."
-C- -M- -D-
San-chan returned to the cart with the bucket of water she had just
fetched from the river. "Ukyo? Brother?" Not receiving any response, she
poked her head into the tent. "Oh my..."
Startled, a sweaty Ukyo spun her torso around to see who it was. In
the process, she knocked the bucket out of San-chan's hands, sending the
contents splashing across the tent in a wide wave. "San-chan... err...
can you leave us alone for..."
Her awkward question trailed off when she saw San-chan disappear in
a flash of light that seemed to flow down the splashing water. More
astonishing was the sudden disappearance of a certain body part of
San-kun's from within Ukyo. She turned around and gasped when she saw
who she was now on top of. "Akane?"
Sanma frowned and then looked down at her body. She had made love
to Akane enough times to recognize whose breasts she now had. "Oh...
shit..." Sanma barely finished her curse when she convulsed in pain.
After thrashing about for several seconds, Sanma fainted.
-C- -M- -D-
"Sanma? Sanma-honey... wake up."
Sanma opened her eyes and blinked a few times to clear her vision.
"Huh?" She finally recognized Ukyo looking down at her. "Ukyo? Um...
what happened?"
"Well... as far as I can tell, when San-chan splashed the water on
you, she splashed herself and the water formed a bridge between you
both. I guess that's what is needed to recombine twins split by the
Spring of Drowned Twins curse."
Sanma rose to a sitting position and rubbed her head. "I've got a
massive headache."
Ukyo held out a cold compress to Sanma's head. "You scared me when
you fainted like that."
"Fainted? Oh... yeah." Sanma looked down at her chest and pulled
the sheet covering her breasts away. She sighed at the sight. "Do those
really belong to who I think they do?"
Ukyo nodded and held out a little mirror to Sanma.
Sanma examined her face for several minutes. "Spring of Drowned
Akane." Ukyo nodded. "Well, if I have to be a woman at least I'm a
knockout."
Ukyo frowned. "So how much do you remember about when you were
split in two?"
Sanma thought for a few moments. "Things are a little fuzzy, but I
think I remember it all. When Mrs. Nimura found me and gave me a job.
When you hid yourself under the water... you're so bashful. When I found
us having... oh my. Um... err..."
Ukyo turned away from Sanma to hide her tears. "So you remember
both of your forms?"
"Yeah... It's a bit odd having two sets of memories for that time,
but it seems the two personalities have recombined into one." Sanma
scratched Akane's chin. "Maybe Cologne was wrong about that... or it's
different because of the way this new curse works."
"I see."
Sanma frowned. "Is something wrong?"
Ukyo shook her head. "No... nothing." Without looking back, she
fled from the tent.
Pausing only to wrap the sheet around her naked body, Sanma took
off after the fleeing woman. "Ukyo!" He saw Ukyo running towards the
east and followed. "Ukyo!" After a short chase she caught up and grabbed
Ukyo's wrist, spinning her around in the process. "Ukyo, what's the
matter?"
"Nothing..."
"Just tell me, Ucchan." Sanma lifted Ukyo's bowed head with her
finger.
"I knew it was too good to last."
"What?"
"Our love. Now that you've recombined you must love Akane again...
I was only loved by San-kun."
Sanma pondered this for several seconds before replying. "Yes, I do
feel a stronger love for Akane now than when I was two separate people."
Ukyo fought back the tears.
"But my love for you hasn't gone away." Sanma craned her neck, or
Akane's neck depending on how you look at it, and gave Ukyo a long kiss.
After the kiss, Ukyo watched Akane's face pull away. A part of her
was getting over the shock of being kissed by another woman--her best
friend no less--and the other part was trying to understand how Sanma
could still love her. "Huh?"
Sanma smirked. "What a reaction to a kiss. I love you, Ukyo. Don't
expect me to explain it, but the love I felt for you is still as strong
or stronger now. Maybe because it grew stronger while I was a separate
man."
"So... what does this mean?"
"That I've got a decision to make."
***********************************************************************
>From the personal journal of James Davidson:
October 18, 2057
"Well, I imagine making that decision must have been painful for
you."
"Not as painful as the memories of my date with that guy." Sanma
shuddered.
I lifted an eyebrow. "Did San-chan go all the way with him?"
"No!! Um... she was a good girl. Just kissing." Sanma shuddered
again.
I smirked and restrained myself.
Hanaki wasn't as controlled and laughed out loud. "That's my uncle.
The cross-species, cross-gender, cross-dressing, and cross-sexual jack
of all trades."
I chuckled.
Sanma was not amused. "Why you're my favorite grand-niece, I'll
never know."
Hanaki smiled and gave her uncle a kiss on the cheek. "I love you
too, Uncle."
"So what happened when you returned to Nerima?"
"Well... I really screwed up after that."
I nodded my understanding. "Things were pretty crazy at the end of
ninety-nine, I'm sure that didn't help."
"Nope... it made it worse." Sanma suddenly threw up his hands to
deflect a kick aimed at his head.
Hanaki rolled to the side and traded blows with another attacker.
She seemed to be trying to keep a buffer space between the attackers and
me.
Soon there were at least a dozen young teenagers attacking Sanma
and Hanaki. Despite being outnumbered, they were deflecting the
onslaught without difficulty. But the attackers were not giving up and
looked determined to overwhelm them.
My first thought was that the Buyierfei possessed them, but so far
I didn't see any chi attacks used. It wasn't until I saw Akane standing
calmly at the corner of her house that I realized what was going on.
"Sanma, behind you!!"
Sanma glanced behind her. The momentary distraction allowed one of
the attackers to land a hard punch to her jaw. Sanma's head snapped back
hard at the force of the punch, but she quickly retaliated. Sanma's kick
sent the young girl flying backwards.
"James, that wasn't nice," Akane remarked from her position. She
ruined her scolding by allowing an amused smile to form on her face.
Sanma on the other hand, glared at me as she flipped a young boy
onto the roof.
After a series of attacks and counter-attacks, the dust settled and
the students all bowed respectfully to Sanma and Hanaki.
Akane smiled as she approached us. "Okay, class, that's all for
today. Darmi, nice solid hit there, but next time don't hold back."
The young girl who had punched Sanma smiled broadly. Considering
the force of that hit, if she was holding back then her full out punches
must be pretty impressive.
Sanma rubbed her chin and muttered. "She only got it in because
someone distracted me." She looked directly at me.
Akane giggled and kissed Sanma's sore chin. "You shouldn't have let
your guard down. That's one of the core principles of the Tendo/Saotome
School of Almost Anything Goes Martial Arts."
"Almost?" I asked, while walking over to Akane with Hanaki.
Akane chuckled. "I sometimes add that as a joke. We don't use
certain techniques developed by Sanma's father anymore."
"But you do attack people at random during training class?"
Akane nodded. "Yup, keeps everyone in the Compound ready for
anything. Don't worry, I told them not to hurt you."
The students filed away, comparing notes about how many hits they
each got in.
Sanma hugged Akane. "You have to get Kamsu to tighten his stance
up. He's still leaving a gap in his defense after his kicks."
Akane nodded. "Yeah... I'm going to get Yohachi to spend some
one-on-one time with him to help Kamsu with that problem."
"You know, I must be used to life in the Compound."
"How so?" Akane asked.
"I don't find a horde of kids attacking us unusual anymore."
"Don't relax... things will get even weirder," Sanma remarked and
started laughing.
Somehow I knew she was right.
***********************************************************************
October 26-November 7th, 1999 - Nerima, Japan
A baby cried in the dark Tendo house.
The father stirred. "It's your turn."
The mother rolled over. "No, I changed him last time."
Some grumbling was heard as a figure slipped off the futon and
stood up. "Okay, okay. What's the matter, little Daiji?" The baby
continued to cry as her father cradled her. "There, there. Hmmmm...
she's not wet."
The mother sighed. "He's probably hungry."
The father nodded then sat down and undid her nightie to expose her
breast. Wiping the nipple off first, she held the baby to it and winced
a bit as little Daiji started to suckle. "That's my precious little
girl."
"How's my son?" the mother asked from the futon.
The father giggled. "She's doing fine."
Ranko sighed. "Do you have to keep calling him 'she'?"
"As long as you insist on calling her a boy even when she's a girl,
yes."
"How are we going to raise her? As a boy or a girl?"
Akane sighed. They'd already had this conversation many times
already and couldn't agree how to handle it. No one they talked to was
sure. It was a fairly unique situation, after all. "I don't know, Ranko.
Can we discuss this in the morning when I'm not feeding our child?"
Ranko looked up as Akane as she nursed their child. "Doesn't that
hurt?"
Akane shook her head. "No... just a little when she starts, but
it's very relaxing after that." She gently stroked the baby's back. "I
feel so close to her when we share this time together." She looked over
at Ranko. "You should be the one doing this, you know. If you don't
start soon, your milk will dry up."
"No way! I'm a man and men don't breast feed their children!"
"Shhhhh..." Akane scolded her husband. "And most men don't give
birth to beautiful little girls like Daiji."
"Yeah... but still..."
"You're lucky that I'm lactating because I'm pregnant or you'd have
to do this." Akane thought for a second before speaking again.
"Actually, I'm lucky. I can't begin to describe how happy I feel during
the time I spend breast feeding her."
"We could bottle feed him."
Akane smiled at Ranko's usual response about the breast feeding
issue. "Breast feeding is healthier for our child. My mother breast fed
my sisters and me and your mother breast fed you, so why are you so
resistant?"
"How do you know my mother breast fed me?"
"I asked her. We talk a lot about these things. You should try it
sometime."
"I don't like to talk about female things with Mom."
Akane laughed and put the baby over her shoulder and patted her
back. "I know. I'm glad to spend this time with Daiji, so if you're
uncomfortable with it then you don't have to do it."
"Well, I'm glad that's settled then." Ranko rolled over and closed
her eyes.
Akane smiled at her husband and then flinched when the baby let out
a mighty burp. "Oh yeah, she's your child alright." She stood up and put
the baby back in her crib.
"I never..." Ranko's denial was interrupted when she let out a huge
burp. She blushed.
Akane chuckled as she finished wiping off her breast and slid in
beside Ranko. "You were saying?"
"It's that cheap okonomiyaki joint we went to! Ukyo's okonomiyaki
never made me burp!"
Akane giggled and wrapped her arms around Ranko. "I know." She
kissed her husband before settling onto her back. It was only a few
moments before she felt Ranko's hands caressing her breasts. She smiled
as she felt Ranko press against her. "Between Daiji waking us up
through the night and you trying to catch up after not being able to
make love while you were confined to bed, we'll never get any sleep."
"Are you complaining?" Ranko asked as she massaged Akane.
Akane gasped. "No..."
-C- -M- -D-
The next day Ranko was in the family room when she heard the baby
start to cry. She shuffled over to the bassinet. "What's wrong, Daiji?"
It only took few seconds for the odor to reach her nose. "Uh... oh..."
She looked around. "Akane?!"
Her mother's voice replied from the kitchen. "She's at the
doctor's."
"Oh, right. Um, can you change Daiji?"
Nodoka's response sounded a little irritated. "I can't right now.
All the stuff is in the nursery."
Ranko grumbled something that it would be better that she not use
in front of the baby. She picked up the baby and carried it into the
nursery. She put it in the bassinet and undid the little jumper that she
had bought for her son. The jumper looked suspiciously like a red
Chinese shirt and black pants outfit a certain trio of Ranmas usually
wore.
Ranko thought back to the baby classes she and Akane went to.
"Discard the old diaper." She held her breath as she dropped the diaper
into the diaper pail. "Clean the baby. She grimaced at the sight and
looked towards the kitchen. "Mom?!"
Nodoka's response was in the form of humming a busy little tune.
Ranko sighed and went to work cleaning her son up. She had just
finished when little Daiji decided he needed to go again and sent a
stream of liquid into Ranko's face. "Pffftttt..."
Ranko quickly covered the little penis with a towel. "How can you
do that to me, my son?" She thought about her statement for a few
seconds. "Son... huh?" She smiled broadly as something occurred to her.
She rushed out and came back moments later with a steaming cup. She
made sure it wasn't too hot and then poured the water over her son and
got a daughter in return. "Sorry, my son, but a man's got to do what a
man's got to do when he's diapering his aquatransexual son."
Daiji cooed softly as Ranko finished cleaning and diapering her
daughter. "Good girl... err... boy." The baby gurgled, causing Ranko to
smile. "Whatever." She leaned down and kissed her daughter.
-C- -M- -D-
A few days passed and the Tendo family settled into a routine of
midnight changes, feedings, and crying fits.
At breakfast one morning, all of the Tendo household members were
calmly eating breakfast when Kasumi dropped a bombshell. "I'm going to
move in with Dr. Tofu."
Soun disintegrated into tears. "Oh, my oldest is going to live in
sin!"
Little Hinako sighed and drew some energy from her nearby fighting
fish. Her body grew and filled out the previously baggy kimono she was
wearing. She pulled her husband into a hug to comfort him. "There,
there, honey, it'll be okay."
Akane sighed and looked at her father. "Dad, it's not like Nabiki
isn't doing the same thing!"
Soun looked up from Hinako's chest and looked like the thought had never
occurred to him. "Oh, my two oldest are living in sin!!"
"Actually, Daddy, Akane isn't legally married and has one child
already and another on the way that was conceived by another man."
Everyone looked around to see Nabiki standing in the doorway with
Mousse. She was wearing a devilish smirk on her face.
Soun doubled his tear output. "Oh, all my daughters are living in
sin!"
Kasumi shot a stern look at Nabiki and Akane. "Neither of you are
helping."
Akane and Nabiki smiled apologetically.
Soun had settled down with his wife's help. "Why... why can't you
get married first?" He was looking at Kasumi, but he glanced briefly at
Nabiki.
Kasumi knelt close to her father and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Father, it's not that I'd be living with him... that way. It's just
that his clinic is closer to the train station and will allow me to
study more."
Akane looked sadly at her oldest sister. "It's because of Daiji's
crying, isn't it?"
Kasumi looked at Akane. "Partly. I love little Daiji, but I've been
having trouble concentrating on my studies. When Father and I were
staying with him while the house was being rebuilt, I was able to keep
up with my studies and even get ahead a bit, but now I'm starting to
fall behind again. Please don't hate me, Akane."
Akane shook her head. "No, I understand. It's been hard for Ranko
and me to keep up with our high school studies, I can only imagine what
you have to be going though to become a doctor."
"Thank you for understanding." Kasumi hugged Akane tightly.
"And for the record, Mousse sleeps in his cage, not on my futon."
Nabiki smiled at Mousse. "As I said weeks ago, we're taking it slow."
Ranko laughed and looked at Mousse. "You don't really sleep in a
cage, do you?"
Mousse nodded. "Yeah... I got used to it. But Nabiki keeps it next
to her futon."
"Ah!! So you are sleeping with her!" Ranko broke down laughing.
"Oh, my middle daughter is sleeping with waterfowl!" Soun started
to sob into Hinako's chest again.
"Daddy, are you just crying so you can nuzzle your new wife's
chest?" Nabiki asked, smirking.
"No!" Soun insisted, but when he looked up they could all see that
his eyes weren't wet.
"Sure, Daddy." Nabiki looked over at Akane. "So where's my
niecephew?"
Akane frowned. "Huh?"
"Well, since I have no idea what sex the baby is right now, how
else should I refer to my niecephew?"
Akane chuckled. "At the moment, HE'S sleeping quietly in the
nursery."
"Oh, I'll wait until he wakes up then." Just then, a baby's cry
rang out and Nabiki smiled. "I'll go check on him."
A somewhat weary looking Akane smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem." Nabiki rushed off into the nursery.
Ranko looked at Mousse. "So, how's life at Mon Canard?"
Mousse smiled. "Good, it's nice to be more than a busboy there."
Ranko paused in her attempts to inhale the rice in her bowl long
enough to ask a question. "What are you doing?"
"I'm the maitre'd."
Ranko frowned at the unfamiliar word. "What do you do?"
"Take reservations, greet the guests, help the waitresses serve,
and clear the tables."
Ranko frowned and leaned over and whispered to Akane. "Isn't that
pretty much what a busboy does?"
Akane shushed her husband.
Just then, a shocked cry rang out from the nursery. "Wowsa, that's
disgusting!!"
"Uh oh..." Ranko jumped to her feet and scurried to the kitchen.
She then rushed into the nursery with a glass of hot water. As soon as
she entered the room, she knew she was too late. "Sorry about that. It's
usually a good idea to change him into a girl before changing his
diaper. SHE doesn't have the range that HE does."
Nabiki wiped her face off with a towel. "NOW you tell me."
Ranko smiled apologetically. "Sorry. We're going to get a faucet
with hot and cold running water put into the nursery to help with
changing him."
Nabiki wondered if Ranko meant changing his diaper or changing
Daiji between a boy and a girl. Probably both. "Good idea." She sighed
and took the hot water and transformed Daiji into a girl before
finishing her work. "I'm amazed at how calmly she handles the water."
Ranko smiled. "Yeah, I don't know where she gets that from. I
always hated water."
Nabiki smiled. "Well, that's a good sign that she won't pick up any
of your other bad habits."
Ranko frowned. "What bad habits?"
Nabiki laughed as she finished putting a new jumper she brought
with her on Daiji. "There you go."
Ranko looked at the fancy embroidered jumper. It was white with
gold trim and wasn't something she had seen Daiji wear before. "Where'd
that come from?"
"It was Mousse's when he was a baby. He thought it would look good
on Daiji." Nabiki lifted her niece into her arms and cradled her gently.
"It does. Thanks."
Ranko and Nabiki made their way back to the family room with the
baby. They were greeted with a series of ooh's and ah's.
"How adorable," Nodoka mentioned.
Ranko smiled at Mousse. "Thanks for the jumper, Mousse, but
shouldn't you save it for your own kids?"
Nabiki blushed. "Ranko!!"
Mousse smiled and pulled out a handful of similar jumpers from his
robe. "Amazon mothers don't believe in washing clothes that often, so
they keep a lot of them on hand."
"That explains all the training potties." Ranko laughed.
Mousse nodded. "Yup, they REALLY don't like cleaning those."
-C- -M- -D-
A couple of weeks later, Akane walked into the bathroom with Daiji
in her arms. She giggled when she saw Ranko checking herself out in the
mirror. "What's wrong?"
Ranko pulled her hand away from the thick flap of skin she was
squeezing on her stomach. "Nothin..."
Akane put Daiji in a bassinet near the shower and started to wash
herself and the baby. "Don't worry, now that you're starting to get back
into your normal exercise routine, I'm sure you'll get back into the
lean, mean fighting machine you were before you gave birth."
"I hope so. These stretch marks are really ugly. And my ass is
huge! And my breasts are heavy. And..."
Ranko's complaints stopped when Akane wrapped her arms around her
husband. "You are as lovely as the day I married you."
"Thanks." Ranko kissed her wife, took one last look at her body,
and then sunk herself into the round bathtub.
Akane was amazed that Ranko didn't complain about being called
lovely. <I guess she's getting used to being a woman.> She wasn't sure
if that a good or bad thing, but as long as they were happy she didn't
care. "You know, if you'd just breast feed, your breasts wouldn't feel
as heavy and ache as much."
"Yeah... yeah..."
Akane finished washing her daughter and then rinsed the baby off
with cold water. She lifted her son out of the bassinet and walked over
to the bathtub.
"Here, let me take her." Ranko reached for Daiji.
Akane handed her son to Ranko and then awkwardly climbed into the
tub. The water displaced by her pregnant belly flowed over the edge.
"Ahhhhh..."
Ranko lowered the baby into the water, letting the hot water flow
over her son and give her a daughter in return.
The new family of three sat in the tub together and enjoyed their
peaceful Sunday afternoon.
-C- -M- -D-
An explosion rocked the Tendo yard later that day. Body fragments
flew everywhere. Amazon warriors with their weapons drawn quickly
descended on the source of the explosion.
Nipplering scanned the area and then looked at Ranko. "Where is the
enemy?"
Ranko blushed and looked at Nipplering. "Sorry, I was just
practicing my Moko Takabisha blasts. It's been a while since I've used
them and wanted to get back in fighting form." She gestured at the
pieces of the practice dummy she had just blasted.
Nipplering waved off her warriors. "Can you please inform us when
you are going to train like that?"
"Yeah... sorry." Ranko noticed that Nipplering was looking her up
and down, making her very uncomfortable. "What?"
"If you like, there are some ancient Amazon techniques for
regaining a woman's fighting form quickly after giving birth that I can
show you."
Ranko looked at the tall Amazon. "Really?"
"Yes, it is considered very important to Amazon women to be able to
fight as soon as possible after giving birth."
Ranko nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that. Okay, I'll give it a
try."
-C- -M- -D-
An hour of vigorous exercises followed. Ranko was barely able to
keep up with Nipplering, not that Ranko would ever admit that.
Akane poked her head out the porch doors and saw her husband and
Nipplering in a position she would never have expected to find them in.
"Ranko?"
Ranko popped out of the backward circle she had been bent back into
and looked at Akane. "Yes?"
"What was that?"
Ranko looked at Nipplering. "Its some Amazon post-maternity
exercises Nipplering has been showing me. They already seem to be
working. I feel great!"
Nipplering nodded from her bent back position. "Amazon women pride
themselves in being ready for battle within hours of giving birth."
Akane smiled. "Maybe I can try it after I have my baby. Anyway, I'm
going to go help Kasumi settle into her love nest."
A shocked cry from Kasumi was heard from inside the house. "Akane!
It's not a love nest!"
Akane smirked. "Ranko, can you look after Daiji while we're gone?"
Ranko nodded. "No problem."
-C- -M- -D-
Daiji was crying as she had been for the past half-hour. "There...
there." Ranko cradled her child in her arms and looked around nervously.
"Why did Akane take off so close to feeding time?" The baby's cry
intensified. "There... there."
Ranko sighed and finally sat down on a chair. "Damn... I really
wish Akane was here to take care of this, but a man's got to do what a
man's got to do. Even if it's something totally unmanly like this." She
held Daiji with one hand and undid her shirt with her other. She brushed
Daiji's red hair out of the way before positioning the baby next to her
nipple. "We may have to give you a pigtail to control that hair there,
Daiji."
Daiji reached out for the nipple and wrapped her lips around it.
Ranko winced in pain and yelped as little Daiji started to suckle.
"Dang... that's my strong son. Or daughter at the moment, I guess." She
sat there silently with her daughter nuzzled to her chest.
Shortly, mother and daughter were peacefully sharing their moment
together. Ranko started to hum a soothing little song. She didn't
remember where she had heard it, but it seemed appropriate. Nodoka would
have recognized it as the tune she used to hum to Ranma when he was a
baby.
The doorbell interrupted the peaceful moment. Ranko looked towards
the front of the house. "Can someone..." She trailed off as she
remembered that she was alone in the house. She sighed, not at all
pleased at the interruption. She pulled Daiji off her nipple and burped
her quickly. Unfortunately, she also got a large stain on her shoulder
in the process. "Ewwwww..." She wiped the mess off her shirt and then
rebuttoned it.
The doorbell rang again.
"Coming!!" Ranko wiped Daiji's mouth off and walked towards the
front door with her daughter cradled in her arms. She opened the door
and smiled when she saw Akane standing there. "Forget your key?" She
smiled and leaned out and gave her wife a long kiss. Or tried to. She
was a little started to be pushed away violently after only about two
seconds of the kiss.
"What do you think you doing, you jerk?!" Akane wiped her mouth off
and repeatedly spat on the ground.
"What's the matter, Akane?"
"Um, Ranko, that's not Akane. It's Sanma."
Ranko looked over and finally noticed Ukyo standing next to Akane.
"Ukyo? Hey, welcome back!" She looked around. "You said Sanma's around,
where is he?"
"You just kissed me, you jerk!!" Akane snapped.
Ranko gasped as she finally got a real good look at 'Akane'. The
first unusual thing she noticed that Akane was dressed in a red Chinese
shirt with black pants. Although Ranko thought it looked good on Akane,
it was not what she usually wore. Ranko gasped when she noticed the
second unusual thing: The Akane in front of her was not pregnant. Only
the fact that Ukyo was there and said it was really Sanma prevented
Ranko from going ballistic over the missing baby. "What the hell? Sanma?
How can this be Sanma? Are you sure?"
Sanma sighed. "It's a long story."
"Real long," Ukyo said. "Can we come in?"
"Of course." The wrapped bundle in Ranko's arms started cooing.
Ukyo's face spread out into a broad smile. "Is that your baby?"
Ranko nodded. "Oh... can I hold it?"
Ranko smiled and carefully handed Daiji over. "Make sure to support
his head."
Ukyo smiled as she held the baby. "He's beautiful."
"A boy, huh? That's great," Sanma commented and smiled at his
nephew.
Ranko smiled awkwardly. "Um... actually, that's an even longer
story." She looked at Sanma in Akane's body. "Maybe."
-C- -M- -D-
"We're home!" Akane waddled down the hall and into the family room.
She dropped the small bag of groceries that she had been carrying when
she saw herself holding her daughter. "What the..." She shook her head
to clear the hallucination from her eyes, but when she looked again she
was still looking at herself.
The other Akane smiled awkwardly. "Hi, Akane. I'm back."
Akane could barely catch her breath. "Wha... what is going on?"
Ranko stood up and walked over to her wife. "Akane, Sanma had a
little problem on the way back to Nerima." She took Akane's arm to
steady her.
"Sanma?" Akane gasped. She looked around the room and saw Ukyo.
"Ukyo?"
Ukyo looked awkwardly at Akane. "Hi, Akane." She frowned as she
noticed Akane's pregnant belly.
Akane looked back at herself. "You're... Sanma?"
"Yeah. It's a long story," Ranko explained, since she had just
heard the story about how Sanma got recursed. "Real long."
-C- -M- -D-
One long story later, Akane leaned back against the wall and tried
to absorb all that they had told her about the new curse. "You were
S-chan and the cat?"
Sanma nodded.
"You could have done something to let me know!"
Sanma bowed his head. "I tried. I'm sorry."
Akane sighed and looked at her long lost fiance for several moments
before speaking. "It's very creepy looking at myself like this."
Ranko laughed. "Now you know how I felt when I had to look at Ranma
and Sanma."
"I guess." Akane suddenly realized that she had been so shocked,
that she never had a chance to greet Sanma. "I'm glad you're back. We'll
get through this new curse together. Don't worry."
Sanma and Ukyo exchanged a worried glance.
Akane slid over to Sanma and gave herself a long kiss.
"Damn, that's very disturbing seeing my wife kiss herself."
Sanma glared at Ranko. "It's not as disturbing as you kissing me,
you jerk!"
Akane frowned. "Huh"?
Ranko blushed and looked awkwardly away. "I sort of kissed Sanma
when he showed up at the door."
Akane giggled. "I'd have loved to have seen that."
Sanma crossed her arms over Akane's breasts. "Don't get your hopes
up, it ain't going to happen again."
"Yeah." Ranko repeated the gesture, except with her own breasts.
Akane laughed. "Well, I'm glad you're both back."
"No problem. Um... Akane, I'll be glad to work out with you. It
looks like you haven't been able to keep up with your workouts while
Ranko was pregnant." Sanma suddenly realized what she had just said and
tried to get her foot out of her mouth. She just drove it deeper in.
"Err... I mean... you're not fat or anything, but it looks like you
could use a little more workout time."
Akane's jaw dropped and she looked at Ranko. "You didn't tell
them?"
Ranko shrugged. "I didn't have time."
Akane shook her head sadly and then looked at Sanma. "I'm not fat,
you dolt, I'm pregnant."
Ukyo had suspected as much, but wasn't sure how to mention it.
Sanma gasped. "You... you're pregnant?"
Akane nodded.
Sanma jumped to his feet and clenched his fist. "Who the hell did
this to you? I'll kill him!!"
Akane and Ranko shared a good laugh.
"Get in line. I've got first dibs." Ranko clenched her fist.
Akane smiled and tried to calm Sanma down. "Relax, Sanma. Ranma is
the father. Although, I don't want him dead, if you give him a good
knock on his noggin for me I'd appreciate it."
Sanma frowned. "Ranma?" She thought for a few seconds. "Yeah, that
makes sense. He's not back?"
Akane shook her head sadly. "No..."
Sanma looked at Ukyo and they both knew it was not the time to tell
Akane their other long story.
-C- -M- -D-
Later that night, Sanma knocked on the door to Nabiki's old room.
Ukyo's voice responded. "Come in."
Sanma walked in and looked at Ukyo. "How are you?"
"Fine."
Sanma could tell Ukyo was upset. "I can't tell her now. Not like
this. I just can't tell her with her being pregnant and Ranma missing.
It'll be too hard on her and I don't want to cause her any more pain
than I already have to."
"Yeah, I know." Ukyo rolled onto her back and stared at the
ceiling. "Are you staying in her room with them?"
Sanma could hear the jealously in Ukyo's voice. "No, I'll be
staying in Kasumi's room next door. Akane asked me to stay with her and
Ranko, but I said I didn't want to chance Ranko doing something to me
while I slept. She seemed to understand the attraction of this body."
"Want to try some cold water?"
"Um... no, I can handle sleeping apart from you until we can tell
them."
Ukyo giggled. "That's not what I meant. I meant so that you can
change forms."
Sanma blushed. "Oh... well... I don't have any idea what I'll be
next. I'd rather try to stay human as long as possible."
Ukyo nodded. "I understand."
"We'll find some way to tell them. Maybe we can try to find out
where Ranma is hiding and get him back here." Sanma sat down on the bed
next to Ukyo.
"Why do you think he's not back yet?"
Sanma started to rub Ukyo's arm. "I don't know... he might have
felt awkward about being around while Ranko and Akane were married. I
know I was when I was here as 'S-chan'."
"Was?"
Sanma smiled and leaned down and gave Ukyo a long kiss. "I've found
someone to fill the hole in my heart."
Ukyo smiled and caressed Sanma's cheek. "You know, it still feels a
little odd to be kissed by Akane."
Sanma smiled with Akane's lips. "You'd rather kiss the baboon?"
Ukyo giggled. "No... I'll get used to it.
"Well, enjoy it while it lasts, I know I will. I have nightmares
about what I may be next."
Ukyo cocked her head to one side. "Really, what do you dream you'll
become?"
"Terrible things... Lions and tigers and bears."
"Oh my."
Sanma ran her hand down Ukyo's thigh. "Whatever I become next, I
can only promise you that I will still love you be I man, woman, or
beast."
Ukyo felt Sanma's hand slip under her skirt. "You'd better get to
your own room before you do need a cold shower to cool down, you beast."
She winked.
"Too late." Sanma smirked and gave Ukyo another kiss.
"Ukyo?" Ranko's voice called out from outside the room.
Sanma sprang away from Ukyo just as the door opened. She took a
deep breath to calm herself. "What is it, Ranko?"
Ranko looked between Ukyo and Sanma. "Oh, Sanma." She looked at
Ukyo. "Akane wanted me to make sure you had everything you needed."
Ukyo nodded. "Yeah. Can you thank Akane again for letting me stay
here for a bit until I can clean and reopen my restaurant?"
"No problem." Ranko looked at Sanma. "Damn, do you know how
gorgeous you look?"
Sanma face faulted. "Ranko!!"
"Sorry, man, but I can't get over how beautiful you look to me."
Sanma glared at Ranko. "Watch it, or the next time I'm a cat-"
Ranko shuddered. "-I'll lick you all over."
Ranko shuddered more. "Don't even think something like that!"
Sanma grinned.
-C- -M- -D-
A couple days later, Ranko poked her head into the nursery and saw
her wife holding their baby. "Akane, have you seen... Oh, Sanma."
Sanma looked up from the baby she was cradling in her arms. "What
is it, Sugar Muffin?"
Ranko smiled. "You can't fool me anymore. I make sure to check my
wife's belly before touching her."
"You calling her fat?"
Ranko gulped and looked around to make sure she wasn't around. "No,
of course not."
Sanma laughed and then bounced little Daiji when she started to
gurgle. "Smart man." She looked down at Daiji when the baby started
crying. "Uh... oh. I think she needs to be changed."
Ranko looked at her child. "No, she's hungry. Here, let me have
her."
Sanma frowned and handed over the child. "How can you be so sure?"
Ranko cradled her child in one arm, while undoing her shirt with
the other. "I can tell." She exposed her breast.
"What are you doing?!"
Ranko smiled and held Daiji up to her nipple. "Feeding my baby."
"Gross!!"
Ranko sighed and stroked Daiji's hair. "That's what I thought at
first, too. But... I've come to treasure this time with her."
Sanma frowned. "How do you know she's a girl now?"
"I can tell." She fingered the little pigtail Daiji now sported.
"Are you going to become a hair dresser?"
Sanma laughed. "No, I just thought it would look good on her."
Ranko smiled. "It does. I was waiting for her hair to get a little
longer."
"Oh... sorry." Sanma looked at the ground.
Ranko shook his head. "Don't worry about it. She's almost as much
your child as mine."
"Thanks, but I'll leave the diapering and breast feeding to you and
Akane."
Ranko shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. <Dang, thought I could
get Sanma to do some of the diapering at least.>
As Ranko continued to nurse Daiji, Sanma watched and started to
long for something she couldn't quite pin down. She saw something
between Ranko and Daiji that stirred some unfamiliar feelings deep with
her, but didn't know why.
-C- -M- -D-
A few days after returning to Nerima, Ukyo finished washing the
floor and looked at her now sparkling clean restaurant. "There, all
done." She smiled and then walked to the front and opened the door. She
slid the sign onto the sidewalk to indicate she was open for business.
"Need any help?"
Ukyo turned to see Akane standing behind her. "Oh... no thanks,
Akane, I'm all set."
Akane patted her flat belly and grinned.
Ukyo slapped her forehead. "Oh! Sanma." She glanced around before
she pulled Sanma into the restaurant and gave her a long kiss.
Sanma smiled when the kiss ended a couple minutes later. "You've
got to try to pay more attention or you'll end up kissing Akane one of
these days."
"I feel like I'm doing that already." Ukyo giggled. "Well, you
seemed to have timed your arrival here perfectly to avoid doing any
work, I'm all done already."
Ukyo didn't miss seeing the slight twitch of a smile on Sanma's
lips. "Damn. Well then, can I be your first customer?"
Ukyo looked sternly at Sanma. "A paying customer?"
Sanma gulped and tried to go though her pockets to find some
change. "Um... err..."
Ukyo giggled. "You'll never change... " She gave her boyfriend a
quick kiss and then walked behind the grill to start cooking up a
okonomiyaki. "So, any luck finding Ranma?"
Sanma shook his head. "Nope. With Nabiki's help, we discovered that
he did return to Japan back in June using the plane ticket he had with
him, but we haven't found any trace of where he went after that."
"Damn... I really don't know how much longer we can hide our
relationship from Akane."
"Yeah, it's getting pretty hard to make excuses why I won't sleep
in the same room with her. Um... err... she made me take a hot bath with
her the other day. I'm sorry." Sanma bowed her head.
Ukyo smirked. "Two naked Akane's in a tub together, that must have
been quite a sight. It's okay, Sanma, Akane is my friend and I hope
somehow we can stay friends after we tell her, but with her pregnant and
Ranma missing I don't think it's a good idea to tell her right now."
"Yeah... it's just really rough being so close to her knowing what
I have to do to her. It's going to devastate her."
Ukyo sighed. "I hope not, but we can only hope to soften the blow
at this point."
"Right..." Sanma's response was not as firm as Ukyo would have
liked.
"Sanma? Are you..." Ukyo trailed off.
"Am I what?"
"Are you having second thoughts?"
Sanma looked at Ukyo and paused for a second. Two seconds. Three
seconds. "No... but I feel like I've betrayed her and somehow...
betrayed myself."
Ukyo frowned. She would have preferred a quick 'no', but she knew
what Sanma was talking about. "I know... that's why I kept resisting
your advances. I felt I would be betraying Akane if I let myself act on
my feelings." She flipped the okonomiyaki onto the plate in front of
Sanma.
"Well, we've acted." Sanma took a large bite of the okonomiyaki,
savoring the taste. "Now we just have to fess up to it."
Ukyo sighed. "Yeah... time to face the mallet."
-C- -M- -D-
A couple of days later, Ukyo and Sanma walked up to the Tendo house
together. Ukyo looked at Sanma. "Are you sure?"
Sanma reluctantly nodded. "We can't wait any longer. There's still
no sign of Ranma and Akane just asked Nabiki about arranging a marriage
ceremony so that I can marry her."
Ukyo cringed. "Okay, but let's take it slowly and gauge how she
handles it. I don't want to cause any problems with the baby."
Sanma nodded.
A short while later, Sanma and Ukyo knelt across from Akane and
Ranko in the family room.
"Okay, what's up?" Akane asked, blissfully unaware of what was to
come.
Ukyo and Sanma exchanged a quick glance and then Sanma spoke. "We
need to tell you something."
"What?"
Sanma took a deep breath. "You remember how I told you that I split
into a man and a woman before being cursed with my present good looks?"
She smiled with Akane's face.
Akane laughed and nodded.
"Well..." Sanma fidgeted, unable to continue.
Ukyo took up the discussion. "They didn't exactly have the same...
personalities and memories as Sanma normally does."
Ranko started to laugh. "What, did San-chan sleep with a lot of
guys, or something?"
"No!! He just kissed me!!" Sanma blurted.
Akane's eyes went wide at the revelation. Ranko continued laughing.
Ukyo frowned. "Um... San-chan did have a date with a nice young boy
when we thought that the split was permanent, but that's not exactly
what we wanted to tell you."
Akane visibly relaxed. "Good, for a second I thought you were going
to tell me he's in love with another man." She giggled.
Ukyo and Sanma resisted the urge to look at each other in fear that
they wouldn't be able to continue.
Ranko looked at Sanma. "Well, I could understand guys falling for
her. She's drop dead gorgeous."
Akane laughed. "Now, or when he looks like you?"
"Both."
Ranko and Akane had a good laugh, which Ukyo and Sanma reluctantly
joined.
After the laughs petered out, Akane asked the question Ukyo and
Sanma knew would come. "So what did you want to tell us?"
Ukyo and Sanma exchanged another glance before Sanma spoke. "Well,
after I split..."
Sanma's confession was interrupted when Nabiki ran in carrying a
videotape. "I found Ranma!!"
Everyone spun around to look at Nabiki and saw Mousse come in
behind her.
Akane eye's widened. "Huh? Where?"
Sanma suddenly felt like a great weight had been lifted from her
shoulders. "Yeah, where?" She exchanged a look with Ukyo.
"Well, you'll never guess what he's doing." Nabiki laughed as she
walked over to the TV and put the videotape in.
Ranko was the first to guess. "A male prostitute?"
Nabiki giggled, but shook her head.
Akane made her suggestion. "Doing hard time for blowing up
something?"
"Nope." Nabiki looked at Sanma.
"Um... I don't know. A sideshow freak in a circus?"
Nabiki frowned and thought for a second. "Nope, but it is sort of
like a circus."
Akane was too impatient to play guessing games. "Come on, what is
it?"
Nabiki pressed the play button. "Okay, Akane, but try not to go
into labor or anything."
Akane nodded and looked at the screen. An advertisement for some
sort of superhero martial arts show was on. "He didn't get a job in one
of those cheesy superhero shows, did he?"
Nabiki shook her head and pointed at the screen. The commercial had
ended and a show that was obviously trying to look like a real news show
was now on-screen. An all too perky young woman sat next to a dashing
young man.
"Welcome back to Millennium Madness," the young man said. "Our next
segment focuses on a young man who is said to be able to perform
miracles."
As the host droned on and on, Akane started to get sick to her
stomach. And she was pretty sure it wasn't due to her pregnancy.
After a number of interruptions by his co-host, the young man
finally got to the interesting part of his story. "We have obtained this
home video that was smuggled out by one of our field reporters. The
authorities that have seen the video have dismissed it all as millennium
madness."
"Hey, Kenshi, that's the name of our show!!" the girl suddenly
blurted.
Kenshi rolled his eyes. "That's right, you twit," he muttered,
unsuccessfully trying to keep the mikes from hearing him. He turned
towards the camera. "Reports of the eyewitnesses have indicated that the
man has performed numerous miracles. Please remember that these are
unconfirmed and may be exaggerations. They spoke of him being able to
form fire from his hands, move mountains with the force of his will
alone, leap tall buildings in a single bound-"
The girl interrupted. "Sounds like Superman!"
Kenshi clenched his fists and tried to ignore the interruption.
"-heal the wounded, and attract an unusual number of female admirers
among the members of his cult."
"Gee, that's different than our last story. He was such an ugly
jerk."
"Sis, will you shut up!!" Kenshi snapped and then continued. "Here
is the only video we have of the man. I apologize for the low quality."
Akane gasped as the screen showed Ranma standing in the front of a
large crowd of chanting people. "Ranma?"
Lots of amazed and confused comments went around the Tendo family
room.
On screen between occasional bursts of static and lighting
variations, Ranma held his hands up and spoke. "My children, thank you,
together we will save this world from the evils that plague it!" The
crowd cheered and called out Ranma's name repeatedly. The video and
audio dissolved in static and Nabiki turned off the TV, but not before a
cheesy superhero show that was taped on top of the pseudo-news show
appeared.
Nabiki blushed as she pulled out the videotape. "I don't know how
that got on there."
Sanma and Ukyo exchanged an uneasy glance. Ukyo looked at Nabiki
and asked a question. "How did Ranma end up there?"
Nabiki shook her head. "I'm not sure about that. After I saw this I
did some quick checking and Ranma did fly out of Narita airport in
August. When I first found out he returned to Japan, I never thought to
check if he left the country after that. I'm sorry for missing that."
Akane shook her head. "That's okay... no one's perfect." Nabiki
seemed to take that as an insult. "But how can that be Ranma? And all
those things they said he did."
Ranko puffed up her chest and boasted. "I don't know, I'm sure some
of them are true." She snapped her fingers and formed a chi ball between
her fingers. "Fire from his hands."
Ukyo nodded. "All three of them are unusually high jumpers."
"Yeah, and you know how irresistible we are to women," Sanma
remarked, earning a scowl from Ukyo.
Akane smirked. "Yeah... that does sound like Ranma alright." She
sighed. "So what do we do?"
Ukyo and Sanma exchanged a relieved look. Finding Ranma meant that
they could afford to delay their confession for a little while longer.
Sanma jumped to her feet. "We go there and drag the jerk back
here."
Ukyo nodded and got to her feet. "Yes, I'll be glad to go with
Sanma to bring him back."
"We'll all go." Akane tried to get up.
Ranko stopped her. "There is no way I'm letting you go this close
to your due date! I'll go."
Sanma shook her head. "No, we can handle this. You should stay with
Akane. She needs someone to be there for her and the baby."
"But I really think I should go. What if Ranma is in trouble or
won't come back?" Ranko asked, pleadingly.
Akane smiled at her husband. She knew that Ranko had been growing
more and more restless since she gave birth and would love to go on an
adventure. "Ranko, I know you want to get out of the house and all, but
if *I* can't go then I need my Lamaze partner with me."
"But..."
Akane looked into her husband's eyes. "Please?"
Ranko sighed as she saw an adventure slip out of her grasp.
"Okay... I guess I'll stay."
Mousse cleared his throat. "If you like, I'll go with them."
Nabiki smiled. "Great, then you can let me know what Sanma
transforms into next. I've got a lot of money riding on him." She looked
at her cash cow. <A cow would be perfect. No one has bet on him becoming
a cow.>
Sanma glared at her. "I still can't believe you're betting on what
this stupid curse turns me into next!!"
"Hey, I'm giving you ten percent of the take, so stop your
whining!"
"You said twenty percent yesterday!"
Nabiki's expression didn't change as she denied that. "No, I
didn't."
Akane chuckled. "Don't worry, Sanma, it's just for fun. But if you
can arrange to be a dog next, I'd appreciate it." She winked.
Sanma rolled her eyes.
Nabiki checked her organizer. "And don't forget, turning into a
Mexican Chihuahua will get Akane a double Jackpot." Inside, Nabiki
chuckled. <Like a Mexican Chihuahua could get to China... that's one bet
I'll never have to pay off on.>
***********************************************************************
>From the personal journal of James Davidson:
October 18, 2057
"How on earth did Ranma get mixed up in one of those millennium
cults?"
Akane smiled. "It's a real long story and one I've been waiting for
the right time to tell you."
"Like now?"
Akane grinned. "Yeah, I guess it is about time that I told you
about what that idiot went and did after returning to Japan, but it'll
have to wait for another day." She stifled a yawn.
I stretched my arms and suddenly felt the urge to yawn. "It's long
past time you told me, actually."
Akane smiled. "If I told you how everything ends all at once, where
would the fun be in that?"
I smiled. "You sound like your husband."
"Well, she looks like me, so why shouldn't she act like me?" Sanma
asked from the hallway to the kitchen. She was, of course, correct.
Akane did look like how Sanma currently looked. Or more accurately,
Sanma currently looked like Akane.
"I'm the original, honey."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure."
"Darn, that means I'll have to cancel that speech I was going to
make declaring myself ruler of the world."
Akane laughed. "You wouldn't want the responsibility, honey."
"Probably not, but I could finally get my face carved on the moon's
surface."
I frowned. "Huh?"
Akane smiled at me. "Well, the three egomaniacs that I have had the
pleasure and misfortune to be married to were always trying to think up
the best way they could be immortalized for saving the world."
"Well, we've saved it several times, you know," Sanma commented.
"Yes, I know... but isn't it enough that you know that you have
made a difference?"
Sanma thought for a few moments before answering. "No."
Somehow, neither Akane nor I were surprised by that answer.
[End - Chapter 25]
Coming soon: Chapter 26: It's a Small World After All, Ranma
=======================================================================
The real author's (Jim Lazar) notes/ramblings:
For all those people who wondered why I didn't use the Spring of Drowned
Twins to split Ranma way back in chapter five, this is the reason. I
needed to use it here and the SOD Twins wouldn't produce the proper side
effects to the initial split (Sanma, for instance) or be permanent.
I'd like to thank my pre-readers Jonathan Ng, David Johnston, Jyh-I Lu,
Rei No Tenshi, EBJ, Thomas Kinnen, Johan Holmburg, and Michael A. Chase
for helping me find and fix problems with this story. Thank you all. Of
course in the end, any mistakes and botched characters are my fault.
Revision 0.0 - Rough draft (August 30, 1999)
Revision 0.1 - Sanma's return to Nerima added (October 9, 1999)
Revision 0.3 - Pre-reader draft (October 27, 1999)
Revision 0.4 - FFML draft (November 9, 1999)
Revision 1.0 - Final version (December 1, 1999)
Revision 1.1 - First RAAC posting (December 5, 1999)