Subject: [FFML] [fanfic][ranma][LEMON]Comes the Cold Dragon: Part IV
From: Don Granberry
Date: 8/14/2000, 5:56 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com
Reply-to:
lunohoco@lunohoco.com

This part of the story is being sent out in two different versions. One
version is lime, the other is lemon. This version is LEMON.

The writing of Part Five is well underway and I expect to issue it  in
sections, just as Part III was. I think perhaps it will be small enough
to be shipped in two pieces, but it may end up being large enough to
require three sections. In any case, Part Va will ship to FFML this
coming Friday, 18 Aug 00.

Also, I have posted another of my attempts at visual humor. Bring
millions of colors and a sense of humor to the link below:

http://www.lunohoco.com/notthereyet/tootoohotki.html

Regards,

Don Granberry.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Most of the characters in this piece and the setting for it, were
conceived of by Rumiko Takahashi for her Ranma1/2 series of Manga. All
such characters and the setting are the property of Takahashi-san and
her licensees. All other characters in the piece are purely fictional
and any resemblances to actual persons living or dead, are purely
coincidental.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comes the Cold Dragon: Part IV (LEMON)




-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: ctcd4R2le.txt
-- Desc: Unknown Document

"Are you sure you're okay, Ranma?"
 
       They were standing in the hall of Tofu's clinic, just 
inside the back door.
 
       "I'm sure, Akane. Whatever that was, it's completely 
gone now."
 
       Onna-Ranma looked up into Akane's eyes, hoping to 
reassure her. Outside a soft, cold rain continued to fall. It 
would have been romantic if the two of them had not been 
soaked to the skin and shivering from the cold.
 
       "Let's get out of these wet clothes," Akane said 
softly.
 
       "Good idea," Ranma said as they broke eye contact. 
Akane started down the hall towards their room.
 
        "Akane?"
 
       She stopped and turned around.
 
       "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that."
 
       "You couldn't help it, Ranma," Akane said, "I'm not 
mad at you."
 
       Akane watched Onna-Ranma closely for a reaction as she 
tried without success to suppress a shiver. She was too 
frightened and too cold to fend it off. Onna-Ranma's eyes 
grew sad. He reached towards Akane as though he wanted to 
offer comfort, but stopped himself.  Then just stood staring 
at her with woebegone eyes while he shivered. Why did he 
stop? Akane silently asked herself. Is it because he is 
afraid of how I might react? Or is he uncomfortable being 
intimate with me while the curse is on him? Maybe it's both. 
I've yelled at him enough times about touching me whenever 
he's in his girl form. 
 
       Her train of thought took a completely different track 
when she noticed the wrinkle lines on Onna-Ranma's forehead. 
There were lines around his eyes and mouth as well. He's more 
afraid than I am, she realized. He just won't admit to it. He 
_can't_ admit to it. He would lose control. His legs are 
shaking and...Akane's thoughts were again interrupted when 
the light in the brightly lit hallway suddenly dimmed. She 
looked up. The hallway was lit with fluorescent lighting and 
the one meter long tubes were glowing as brightly and as 
peacefully as ever, but their light was not making its way 
into the area around her and Onna-Ranma. She looked back at 
Onna-Ranma. He looked as though he were standing in a deep 
shadow that was quickly growing darker. Akane could now feel 
the air temperature falling. He's losing control again! She 
thought. Even as Akane watched, the air around her fiance 
absorbed more and more light until only the faintest traces 
of him could be seen. A fine, barely discernible fog was 
beginning to fill the air around them.
 
       "No!" Akane shouted, "Ranma, you stop that this 
instant!"
 
       "Akane..."
 
       "Ranma!" Akane screamed, then plunged into the shadows 
that had engulfed him. Once inside the dark globe that had 
formed around Onna-Ranma, she could see him. The light was 
very dim, but there was still light. The air within the 
sphere was quite cold and getting colder.
 
       "Akane get back!"
 
       "No, Ranma," Akane said, trying to force her voice to 
stay calm and almost succeeding, "You get back into control. 
I'm keeping my place."
 
       "Your place is somewhere safe!" Onna-Ranma screamed, 
"Out of danger, and that's wherever I tell you to be!"
 
       "No, Ranma," Akane said, quite calmly but with real 
iron in her voice, "My place is with you. In danger, out of 
danger, in heaven or in hell, wherever you are, there am I. 
Now and forever, Ranma!"
 
       "Dammit, Akane!" Onna-Ranma choked on her shriek as 
her shivering became almost spasmodic. "I ain't got no 
control over this!"
 
       "I love you, Ranma Saotome," Akane said, hearing with 
amazement as her  own voice suddenly become as firm and as 
gentle as Kasumi's, "I believe in you."
 
       The air was now cold enough that their breath could be 
seen, despite the low level of light. Onna-Ranma dropped 
heavily to the floor and sat staring up at Akane with 
pleading eyes.
 
       "Akane, please! Please, get back!"
 
       Akane dropped to the floor alongside her beleaguered 
love and caressed his cheek with her right hand. Onna-Ranma's 
skin was cold and clammy, but still much warmer than the 
surrounding air. Bright, bluish tendrils of light began to 
flicker in and out of existence in the cold darkness around 
them.
 
       "I'm not going anywhere, Ranma," Akane said in a calm 
whisper, "You are my protector. I'm only safe when I am with 
you."
 
       Onna-Ranma choked off a sob, then took a deep breath 
and held it. After a few seconds, the light suddenly became 
so bright that both of them were forced to blink. Onna-Ranma 
let out her long-held breath with a great sigh.
 
       "Stubborn, baka!" Onna-Ranma shouted between gasps for 
air.
 
       Akane just smirked at him as she stood up and offered 
him her hands. Onna-Ranma accepted the offer and Akane helped 
him to his feet. 
 
       "I knew you could do it!" Akane said with such a 
cheerful note in her voice that Kasumi would have stuck a 
gold star on her forehead had she heard it. Onna-Ranma was 
not so impressed.
 
       "You coulda got killed!"
 
       "No way, Ranma," Akane said with an evil grin, "All 
you needed to do was take control of yourself, and there is 
no way you would ever let anything you were doing hurt me."
 
       They stood holding hands for a long time, just staring 
into one another's eyes. It was Akane that broke the 
prolonged silence.
 
       "Ranma, this is almost as though you have grown new 
legs," she said, "You just have to learn how to use them, 
that's all."
 
       Neither Akane nor Ranma had any way of knowing how 
close to the truth her analogy was. Onna-Ranma broke the 
spell by taking stock of their surroundings.
 
       "Uh, Akane?"
 
       "Yes, Ranma?"
 
       "Your hands are freezing. Why don't you go get a hot 
shower and warm up? While you're doin' that, I'll mop up all 
this water."
 
       About half the hallway was covered in condensation and 
water that had dripped from their soaking wet clothing. Akane 
giggled. This was the one of the things that truly puzzled 
her about Ranma. He was compulsively neat. He was not quite 
as bad as Kasumi, but he truly hated having anything out of 
place. She remembered all the times he cleaned up the messes 
left behind by Hinako-sensei and bit her lower lip. Then she 
giggled again. A distant flash of lightning brightened the 
room. There was a brief pause, then thunder rumbled around 
them.
 
       "Okay, Ranma."
 
       "I'll see if I can find a hanger for your dress."
 
       "Thanks."
 
       Akane made her way to the tiny bathroom only to find 
that her zipper was stuck, not at all unusual for one of her 
cotton sundresses. There was no way she could pull the dress 
off over her head while it was wet. She struggled with the 
zipper with shaky hands for a few minutes until frustration 
got the best of her.
 
       "Ooh! Will you please just break loose!" Akane 
shouted. The echoes of her voice in the tiny bath hurt her 
ears.
 
       There was knock at the door.
 
       "Akane? Are you okay?"
 
       "I'm fine!" Akane said, unable to keep the 
exasperation out of voice, "It's just that my zipper is 
stuck."
 
       "You want me to help?" Onna-Ranma's voice sounded 
positively fearful.
 
       Akane smiled. 
 
       "Would you, please?"
 
       Onna-Ranma came into the bath looking as though he 
feared for his life. Akane suppressed a giggle. She really 
couldn't blame him for that, could she? He had already 
changed into a dry tank top and a pair of boxers. Akane 
turned around so that he could reach the zipper. He had more 
than a little trouble with it. He had to zip it all the way 
up before he could pull it back down and it tried to catch a 
couple of times. Akane shrugged off her dress before he could 
leave the room.
 
       "Did you bring the hanger?"
 
       "Ah--no," Onna-Ranma said, looking somewhat alarmed, 
"I'll go get it right now."
 
       "I guess it's time to let him know how I really feel 
about his curse," Akane whispered to herself as he left the 
room. "Maybe then he'll be a little more at peace with 
himself. Kami knows, he's got enough to deal with already. 
The least I can do is make sure he understands how little his 
curse bothers me anymore."
 
       She wrung the dress out over the tub until Ranma 
returned.
 
       "This is the only empty hanger we've got left, Akane," 
Ranma said as he walked back into the room. She handed him 
her dress. He made a show of putting it on the hanger without 
looking at her. Akane giggled inside. He wants to stare, but 
he's afraid I'll get mad. She turned her back to him and 
began struggling with her bra-strap.
 
       "Could you undo this for me, Ranma?"
 
       "Uh...er..uh...are you sure?" Onna-Ranma stammered as 
he hung the dress on the hook Tofu had installed on the 
bathroom door.
 
       "Please? It's wet and I can't get a good grip on it."
 
       "Okay," Onna-Ranma said in a tiny, squeaking voice.
 
       Akane could feel his shaking hands as they fumbled 
with her brassiere. It took him a minute or more to figure 
out how the clasp worked.
 
       "Give me your hands, Ranma," Akane said as she felt 
her brassier go slack. She held her arms back while quickly 
opening and closing her hands. Akane could not see Onna-
Ranma's face, but could easily imagine how it must look. She 
smiled to herself. When Onna-Ranma fearfully touched her 
fingers, Akane seized his wrists, then pulled him towards her 
until she could feel his body pressed against her back.
 
       "You're so warm," Akane said in a soft voice.
 
       "Eep."
 
       Akane smiled, then slid Onna-Ranma's tiny hands 
beneath her bra and pressed their palms against her breasts. 
Oh, kami-sama it felt good! Onna-Ranma began shaking and 
pressed one cheek against her back. Akane felt Onna-Ranma's 
tears before she heard his suppressed sob.
 
       "I love you, Akane!" Onna-Ranma said, as he pressed 
their bodies together in a fierce hug. Akane moaned, 
luxuriating in his firm embrace and the pressure of his hands 
against her nipples. She wanted more. She wanted a lot more, 
but it was too soon. We aren't ready for that, yet. She 
thought.
 
       "Akane?"
 
       "I know, Ranma," Akane said as she pulled his hands 
away from her breasts and pushed them down to her waist. She 
released his hands and turned around. Ranma stepped back a 
little in cooperation. Akane looked into Onna-Ranma's sea-
blue eyes and smiled.
 
       "I love you, Ranma."
 
       Onna-Ranma was looking very confused and very fragile. 
Akane realized that she would have to be very careful at this 
point. The least little thing would shatter him. For all his 
courage and all his power, Ranma was easily crushed. Akane 
wished she had realized it sooner.
 
       "You are _my_ man," Akane said as she gently laid her 
palms on either side of Ranma's lovely face. "My only man."
 
       Onna-Ranma looked as though he had very serious doubts 
and more than a few questions that he was afraid to ask. 
Akane smiled, knowing that words never came easily to him. 
She bent down and kissed him gently on the lips. The fire 
that raged in both their bodies shocked her. The kiss plunged 
them into the depths of a passion long felt, but never 
appeased. Thunder rolled several times, driving the flames 
higher. Finally, the need for air forced them to break. Akane 
pressed Onna-Ranma's head to her chest and stroked his hair.
 
       "I could never do anything like this with a girl, you 
know."
 
       Onna-Ranma wept. Akane held him tight and kissed the 
top of his head. 
 
       "I really do love you, Ranma," Akane whispered to him 
as the sound of gentle rain filled the quiet of the clinic. 
"You are the only man I know worthy of me."
 
       "Akane," he paused to sob, "I can't." Onna-Ranma's 
voice failed him again, "I don't..."
 
       "Shh, Ranma," Akane said, "Just let me hold you. I'll 
always be here to help."
 
       "Do you really mean it?"
 
       "I love you, Ranma."
 
       "Even when I'm cursed?"
 
       "You're still my Ranma, even when you're cursed," 
Akane said in a soft, reassuring voice, "Maybe especially 
when you're cursed. I think it's made you more of a man than 
you could have been otherwise."
 
       Onna-Ranma's tears came hot and fast. 
 
       "I don't feel very manly right now, Akane."
 
        "If ever there was a single human being anywhere on 
this earth that deserves a good cry right now, it's you, 
Ranma Saotome."
 
       Onna-Ranma shuddered, unable to stop the tears.
 
        Akane knew to the very depths of her soul that she 
was the only woman on earth that he could trust this much. 
Not even his mother could stand by him in this crisis. 
Outside, there was a bright flash, followed by a loud crash 
of thunder and the lights went out in the clinic.
 
       Akane scooped Onna-Ranma up into her arms and walked 
out into the hall. He clung to her neck with both arms while 
laying his head against her shoulder. Akane felt the heat of 
his tears as they trickled across her skin. It made her 
shudder. She set Onna-Ranma down gently on his bed. Onna-
Ranma rolled onto his side and took Akane's right hand in 
both of his own.
 
       "Go get your shower, Akane. I'm better now."
 
       "Are you sure?"
 
       Onna-Ranma nodded, then pressed Akane's hand to his 
lips.
 
       "I won't be long, Ranma."
 
       "Akane?"
 
       "Yes?"
 
       "Will you come say good night before you go to bed?" 
Onna-Ranma asked in a quavering voice.
 
       Akane kissed him on the cheek.
 
       "Don't worry, Ranma. I won't leave you alone. I'll be 
right back, okay?"
 
       "Okay," he said in a thin, faint voice as he gently 
squeezed her hand.
 
       The sound of his voice stabbed at Akane's heart. This 
was the young giant that had destroyed two different 
mountains. The man who could get into a fight with the son of 
a dragon, or even a kami and still live to tell about it. Now 
he was reduced to begging her to come say good night. For the 
very first time in her life, Akane Tendo actually felt 
needed. There could be no doubts or second thoughts on the 
matter. Ranma needed to be loved and comforted by her, not by 
Ukyo, not by Xian Pu, not even by his mother, Nodoka. Ranma 
needed her, Akane Tendo. With the realization that Ranma's 
needed her and not someone else, came the knowledge that she, 
Akane Tendo, really was a woman and that all the things that 
had been said about her that caused her self-doubts were 
false.  For the first time in her life she felt womanly. She 
was in fact, feeling very, very womanly.
 
       "Be strong for me, Ranma," Akane whispered fiercely, 
"You are my man among men."
 
       "I will, Akane," Onna-Ranma sighed, "I expected ya to 
dump me a long time ago."
 
       "Hmph! You didn't think you could get rid of me that 
easily did you?" Akane teased. "What the hell is a flaming 
kami and few bombs to a kawaii-kune tomboy like me, hmm? None 
of those other girls could hold up to all we've been through, 
now could they?"
 
       Onna-Ranma managed something like a sickly smile, so 
Akane returned to the shower. She did not stay long. She was 
there just long enough to freshen up and make a decision or 
two. Maybe she should teach Ranma a thing or two before their 
new life began. After all, nothing would be the same after 
they left this clinic. Whether or not anyone else ever 
noticed, nothing would be the same again. Akane knew that 
things would, if anything, be even more difficult in the near 
future. Their lives were not going to become simple anytime 
soon. They had too many known problems to deal with already 
and only the kami could know how much trouble remained to be 
discovered in the near future. 
 
       What they needed now, as in immediately, was a way to 
form an unbreakable bond. Akane was determined to make that 
happen tonight. Too many opportunities had been lost to them 
in the past and an opportunity like this one was unlikely to 
present itself again for long time to come. For the moment, 
they were secure from prying eyes and listening ears. There 
were no worries about hidden cameras or obsessed parents 
hoping for an excuse to break out wedding invitations. And 
for once, for the first time in almost a year, Akane would 
not have to worry about some bitch of a martial artist 
interrupting them. Tonight's the night! Akane thought. May 
all the kami forgive me, for I am not going to give Ranma any 
choice. Tonight, I make him mine forever.
 
       Akane struck a Kuno-esque pose and whispered, "Tonight 
I will cleave unto thee, Ranma Saotome! And thou shalt cleave 
unto me. The rest of the world be damned for all I care." The 
lights came back on and Akane giggled at the way she had been 
acting. She donned her bathrobe, then walked back into their 
room. Onna-Ranma was curled up on his left side, staring 
blankly at the wall. Akane turned off the light in the room 
so that the only light left was that which came in through 
the window from the street light outside. The rain had 
lessened a little, but still sighed softly against the window 
panes. Akane untied her robe as she reached the side of 
Ranma's bed, then let it fall to the floor. She hesitated at 
the bedside, savoring the sensation of being naked in Ranma's 
presence. Onna-Ranma seemed to stiffen. I wonder if he can 
tell already? Akane thought as she slid into the bed 
alongside his deliciously muscled, female form. He senses 
things other people can't.
 
       She scooted over until her breasts were pressed firmly 
against Onna-Ranma's muscular back, then kissed the nape of 
his neck, right where it joined his shoulder. Onna-Ranma 
breathed in sharply and held it in. Akane smiled to herself 
and kissed the side of his neck, just below his right ear as 
she ran the palm of her right hand over the firm muscles of 
Onna-Ranma's stomach.
 
       "Hmmm," Onna-Ranma groaned. "Akane, what are you 
doing?"
 
       "Teaching you how to seduce me when the time comes," 
Akane said as she cupped his left breast with her right hand. 
Much to her delight, Onna-Ranma's nipple stiffened against 
the small patch of sensitive skin she had left in the center 
of her palm. She could feel her own nipples stiffening 
against the soft fabric of his tank top. Unnoticed by either 
of them, a soft red glow began to fill the room.
 
       "What would you know about being seduced, Akane?" 
Onna-Ranma asked, sounding as though he were about to became 
very alarmed.
 
       "Oh, not much, really. It's just that I've been 
dreaming that you would sneak into my room and make a real 
woman of me since you got into that fight with the Musk," 
Akane said as she slid her hand upwards and began caressing 
his right breast. Onna-Ranma's breasts were weighty and 
delightfully plump.
 
       "Geez, Akane," Onna-Ranma said with a gasp, "That was 
last winter."
 
       "I know," Akane said with a smile in her voice. She 
kissed the join of his neck and shoulder again. The glow 
began to brighten.
 
       Onna-Ranma squirmed around until he was laying on his 
back and looking up into her eyes.
 
       "I never realized..."
 
       Akane cut him off with a kiss as she slid her right 
hand beneath his shirt and began tweaking the nipple of his 
left breast with her thumb and forefinger. Onna-Ranma broke 
their kiss and gasped for air.
 
       "Do you have any idea what that does to this body?" He 
asked.
 
       Akane giggled as she nodded her head. The red glow 
began to scintillate with gold threads of coruscating gold.
 
       "Let's just say I have my suspicions, Ranma."
 
       Onna-Ranma looked Akane over, then his eyes grew wide 
with shock. 
 
       "You haven't...you aren't wearing any..."
 
       Akane cut him off with another kiss. The fires of 
passion roared up to white hot. She could feel the heat 
boiling up from his body and knew that her own must be warm 
enough to be glowing. She cupped Onna-Ranma's right breast in 
her hand, delighting in it's weight and feel. Knowing how 
much her actions must be arousing Ranma thrilled her in a way 
she had never felt before. She had never been this excited by 
anything she had ever done. 
 
       "Take off your shirt," Akane demanded when they 
finally broke for air. Onna-Ranma happily complied. Akane 
began applying teeth and tongue to the nipple of his right 
breast as quickly as it was exposed to the air. Onna-Ranma 
groaned as he dropped his shirt on the floor. Akane worked 
the nipple of his left breast over with the thumb and 
forefinger of her right hand.
 
       "I--,"Onna-Ranma said, "I...I...Aiyah!"
 
       "Are you all right, Ranma?" Akane asked.
 
       "I'm fine," Onna-Ranma said, trying hard not to pant. 
He laid his hands along either side of Akane's face and tried 
to pull her to him for a kiss. She resisted his pull and 
instead began to suck on the nipple of his left breast.
 
       "Oh, my!" Onna-Ranma gasped. "Oh, Akane-e-e-e!"
 
       Akane stopped what she was doing and looked up at him 
with an evil grin. The coruscating gold and red brightened, 
unnoticed by either of them.
 
       "Do you want me to stop, Ranma?"
 
       "Come here, you!" Onna-Ranma said, as pulled her face 
down to his, greedily seeking her lips. Akane complied 
happily, pressing the full length of her naked body upon his. 
Onna-Ranma's right knee came up between Akane's legs, causing 
his thigh to come into contact with her fully distended 
vulva. She reached down with her right hand and began to 
caress the inner part of his left thigh near the knee, while 
rubbing her excited sex against the hard muscles of Onna-
Ranma's right thigh. This forced Onna-Ranma up for air.
 
       "A-ah!" He cried aloud.
 
       Akane began sucking on the nipple of his right breast 
while letting her hand wander farther and farther up his 
inner thigh.
 
       "Akane," Onna-Ranma whimpered, "You are driving me 
crazy!"
 
       Akane stopped and propped herself up on her left elbow 
so that she could look down into his eyes. She began tracing 
little circles on Onna-Ranma's hard, flat tummy with the 
middle and ring fingers of her right hand. Her other fingers 
were heavily callused from all the martial arts training she 
had done over the years.
 
       "I love you, Saotome."
 
       "I can't imagine why, but I'm glad you do," Onna-Ranma 
whispered. 
 
       Looking into his eyes was like diving into a deep 
pool, of cool clear water. Akane could have stayed lost in 
them for an eternity, but remembered she had work to do. She 
had years worth of pleasure she wanted to mete out in mere 
hours. She began kissing his neck at the shoulder again while 
forcing her fingers beneath the waistband of his boxers. His 
mons was prominent and covered with stiff curls. Akane 
delighted in meaty the feel of it and its wiry hair. Her own 
was much less pronounced, and covered with very straight 
hair. Onna-Ranma clapped her legs together and gasped.
 
       "Akane, what are you doing?"
 
       "I'm going to turn you into my love slave, Saotome," 
Akane said with a playful growl in her throat as she pressed 
his vulva together with her ring and middle finger. Onna-
Ranma began to whimper as Akane applied pressure to the 
little spot just below the peak of his mons.
 
       "Feels good, doesn't it, baby?" Akane asked in an evil 
sounding whisper.
 
       "Oh, yes!"
 
       "Right there?" Akane asked as she applied pressure in 
a gentle, circular motion.
 
       "Yes!" Onna-Ranma squeaked.
 
       Onna-Ranma was suddenly very, very damp. Akane gently 
slid the slender ring finger of her right hand up and down 
his rapidly moistening slot. 
 
       "Akane, stop!" Onna-Ranma said.
 
       Akane paid him no heed.
 
       "Don't!" Onnna-Ranma gasped.
 
       Akane pressed gently until she could feel the moist, 
inner labia of his now, very excited sex.
 
       "Oh, baby!" Onna-Ranma cried.
 
       Onna-Ranma reached behind Akane's head and pressed her 
lips to the nipple of his left breast. Akane was more than 
happy to oblige him with a gentle nip and a long hard suck, 
then she lashed the swollen aureole with her tongue. Onna-
Ranma gasped and bucked with his hips. Akane's ring finger 
slid deep inside him well before she intended it to. This 
wasn't a problem. Onna-Ranma was more than ready, but Akane 
knew it was too soon for that. She gently withdrew the her 
finger, gleefully ignoring the desperate motions of his hips 
as he tried to recover her retreating finger, then slid it 
upwards until she found his bulging clitoris. She was 
delighted by the size of it, but rather than rub it directly, 
she played with the fleshy little hood above it, gently 
teasing it with the soft pad of her ring finger.
 
       Onna-Ranma began to make whimpering noises that were 
really a wordless form of begging. Akane persisted with this 
line of sweet, gentle torture until the large tendons at the 
join of Onna-Ranma's thighs began to quiver, then she finally 
began to barely stroke his clitoris. Onna-Ranma dug into the 
mattress with both heels and arched his back. Akane smothered 
his shriek of pleasure with a deep kiss and applied a little 
more pressure. Onna-Ranma clapped his legs together and 
dropped back down onto the mattress. Akane then used both her 
ring and middle fingers to probe the aching void between his 
legs, letting them straddle Onna-Ranma's rapidly retreating 
clitoris as they slid in and out of the moist, aching little 
cavern between his powerful legs. The glow of their 
intertwined aura went from red and gold to pure gold as the 
flashing, threads melded themselves together in a single, 
glowing mass of light.
 
       "Oh-ho, me!" Onna-Ranma cried out, as he lost control 
and spread his legs again. "Akane!"
 
       Akane slowed her pace and began gliding in and out of 
him smoothly and ever so gently. This was not what Onna-Ranma 
wanted.
 
       "You're torturing me!"
 
       Akane kissed him hard, probing deep into his mouth 
with her tongue, then she pulled back and gave him an evil 
grin, still gliding her fingers in and out of his tender 
flesh. He was becoming very wet now.
 
       "But it's so much fun, Ranma."
 
       "Oo-oo-oo-ooh."
 
       Akane shifted her weight slightly so she could reach 
the nipple of his right breast. The color of his aureoles had 
gone from a light cream color to bright, fleshy pink and 
looked for all the world like perfectly conical little tents. 
Akane caressed it lightly with her tongue. Her touch made 
Onna-Ranma jerk and whimper.  Akane stroked a little faster.
 
       "Yes!" Onna-Ranma cried as he began to buck with his 
hips. Akane's fingers slid deep into his moist flesh. She 
added her forefinger to the two that were already exploring 
his body and began using her thumb to slide beneath his hood 
and rub his swollen clit.
 
       "Aha, yes!" Onna-Ranma cried as he bucked even faster. 
Akane let him do with work with his hips while concentrating 
on keeping her fingers and thumb in the right places. 
Suddenly her hand was covered with a warm, slippery fluid as 
Onna-Ranma's muscles clamped down as hard on her fingers. 
Akane wiggled her thumb as fast as she could, being careful 
not to use too much pressure. Onna-Ranma went wild with the 
sweet agony of a second orgasm. Akane hungrily kissed him on 
the mouth. Onna-Ranma pressed her thighs together, capturing 
Akane's hand.
 
       "Akane stop!" Onna-Ranma gasped, "I'm gonna die!"
 
       Akane giggled and wiggled her thumb again.
 
       "Oo-oo-oo-hoo! You bitch!"
 
       Akane nibbled at his right nipple, as even more fluid 
coated her right hand.
 
       "Oh, _please_ stop!" Onna-Ranma begged, "Please? I 
can't...I can't take it anymore!" 
 
       His bucking had ceased and was now nothing more than 
sharp little jerks and spasms. Akane delighted watching his 
stomach muscles ripple with each movement. Onna-Ranma was 
panting, but not from exhaustion. Akane kissed him again. 
They took their time. The kiss was soft, and gentle and 
lasted for what seemed an eternity.
 
       Akane shifted the her weight off her elbow once they 
finally broke for air, then settled her head in the hollow of 
Onna-Ranma's powerful shoulder. She kissed his cheek, 
reveling in the feel of her stiff nipples pressed up against 
his heaving ribs. She waited quietly, wondering what would he 
would do to her once he recovered.  Whatever he decided, she 
was more than ready. Hopefully, he would go for hot water. 
The still unnoticed glow of their blended aura dimmed as it 
changed to deep orange color of banked coals.
   
              
      
                          -----------
 
 
 
       "Would you like me to scrub your back, Kasumi-chan?" 
Nodoka asked.
 
       "Oh, would you Auntie?" Kasumi sounded delighted, "I 
haven't had anyone here to do that for me since Mother died."
 
       "Of course, dear!" Nodoka said, "I sometimes think 
that the definition of true loneliness is having no one to 
help you wash your back."
 
       Kasumi chuckled.
 
       "You never bathe with your sisters?" Nodoka asked.
 
       "No, not for several years now," Kasumi said with a 
fond smile, "They decided they were too grown up to bathe 
with me several years ago."
 
       Nodoka smiled at this as she began work on Kasumi's 
back.
 
       "The four of us should visit the sentou soon," Nodoka 
said, remembering that some of the best gab-fests that she 
had ever had with her friends happened while they were at the 
public baths. Of course, when she was still a young girl, the 
sentou was not an option. Very few homes had their own furo 
in those days and the public bath was a necessary 
institution. Nowadays, the sentou was becoming a form of 
family entertainment to be indulged in only on weekends.
 
       "That would be fun," Kasumi said, then with a teasing 
note in her voice added, "We could invite Ranma along and 
make it five."
 
       Nodoka chuckled, then answered, "That would be letting 
a fox in amongst the chickens."
 
       "Ranma is actually a very chivalrous young man," 
Kasumi said.
 
       "Yes, and very much a man, even when his curse is upon 
him," Nodoka said with more than a little pride in her voice, 
"The women of Nerima should be thankful for his chivalry."
 
       "It may interest you to know that he is a constant 
thorn in Master Happosai's side," Kasumi said with a giggle, 
"Ranma seems to enjoy interrupting his depredations."
 
       "With spectacular results, I'm sure."
 
       "And very often amusing as well."
 
       "I hope your sister snares him soon," Nodoka said with 
a sigh. "I look forward to being a grandmother, but I don't 
want to be an _old_ grandmother."
 
       "Oh, I'm pretty sure she has already snared him, Aunt 
Nodoka," Kasumi said with a shiver as Nodoka poured fresh, 
cold water on her soapy back, "I think now she isn't all that 
sure she wants to saddle him."
 
       "Then she shouldn't bother with a saddle and simply 
ride him bareback," Nodoka said with a smile in her voice as 
she turned her back to Kasumi.
 
       Kasumi silently soaped a rag as she thought those 
implications through. She blushed once she finally sorted out 
Nodoka's meaning.
 
       "I don't think Ranma will accept the responsibility of 
a wife and child until he is certain he can take care of 
them, Aunt Nodoka."
 
       "Why would he worry about that?"
 
       "I hate to say this," Kasumi said in a tiny voice as 
she began work on Nodoka's back, "but I think he wants to 
avoid being anything at all like his father outside The Art."
 
       Kasumi became more than a little alarmed as she felt 
the muscles in Nodoka's back go rigid. Nodoka took a deep 
breath and held it for several moments, then let it out in a 
long, sad sigh.
 
       "Well, I can hardly fault him for that, can I?"
 
       "Uncle Genma _is_ a great Artist, Auntie."
 
       "So my son wants to be greater than his father, does 
he?"
 
       "In more ways than one, Aunt Nodoka."
 
       "Then we will help him do exactly that," Nodoka said 
with a note of finality, "A little more to the right if you 
would please, dear."
 
       Kasumi smiled and the room brightened. Kasumi herself 
was not aware of this, but Nodoka was.
 
       "I am glad you agree, Auntie."
   
              
 
 
      
                         -----------
 
 
 
 
       Onna-Ranma lay next to Akane in the softly lit room, 
moaning a little every once in a while as energy slowly 
returned to his limp, tingling body. Akane's soft, sweet 
breath against his neck made him tingle in all the right 
places. The girlish part of his mind noted that the light in 
the room was a lovely shade of burnt orange. He delighted in 
the feel of the fresh clean sheets beneath his girl-type body 
and the warm scent of Akane cuddled up to his side. Akane's 
nipples were still very stiff, he could feel them as the 
brushed against skin every time he took a breath.
 
       (Yo, Saotome! You still with me, old buddy?)
 
       (BLEEBEE-BOO-BOO-B00-BOO, BLEEEE-BOO-BOO-BOO-BO0...)
 
       (I cannot believe you, Saotome! Three little orgasms! 
That's all! Just three, and you turn into a blithering 
idiot.)
 
       (BLEE-BOO-BOO-B00-BOO, BLEEBEE-BOO-BOO-BOO-BLEEBEE-
BOO...)
 
       (Yo, Saotome! Your turn at bat, you most manly man 
among men, you!)
 
       (BLEE-BOO-BOO-B00-BOO, BLEEEE-BLEE-BOO-BOO-BO0...)
 
       (Come on, Saotome! Snap out of it! Time's a wastin'!)
 
       (BlurBurr-buh-buh-buh Blur-Burr-buh-buh-buh...)
 
       (If you don't snap out of this, I'm gonna hafta do 
your girlfriend without ya. You sure you wanna miss it?)
 
       (Blur-bur-bur-bur-bur...)
 
       (Well, let's see--A hot shower would probably snap him 
out of it.)
 
       (LOT'S OF SOAP! BahBlue-bloo-bloo-bloo...)
 
       (What? And ruin the ambiance we got goin' here? Are 
you nuts, Saotome?)
 
       (Blagh-bloo-bloo-bloo-bloo...Blagh-bloo-bloo-bloo...)
 
       (Yeah, okay. You ain't exactly hittin' on all eight 
cylinders at the moment.)
 
       (Gir-r-r-ls...geddit...habbit bedder...baburlbe-bur-
bur-bur...)
 
       (Come again, Saotome? You almost made sense that 
time.)
 
       (Giruls plessur bedder...gurble blonga!)
 
       (Yeah, okay. I guess you're right about that, but we 
need to do something, and do it fast! Akane's lying right 
here next to us with her motor running.)
 
       (GO WHOPPA WOONGA?)
 
       (Yeah, uh-huh! We haven't seen Maw Thumb and her four 
daughters for two weeks. If I get you into a hot shower now, 
we won't last thirty seconds.)
 
       (Getsu nippon gloria, na?)
 
       (Yeah, whatever. Be quiet and let me concentrate on 
this, okay? It's going be tricky and we need to get it right. 
Akane gambled really big on us tonight. If we don't back her 
play now, she'll never forgive us.)
 
       (...)
 
       (Good boy!)
 

              
      
                      -----------
 
 
 
 
       "I don't know if this will actually work," Kasumi 
said, as she poured a cup of the special tea for Nodoka with 
exaggerated care, "but the book I borrowed from Doctor Tofu 
says a cup of this and two aspirin will all but prevent a 
hangover." Kasumi felt much better after the bath, but her 
head was still not as clear as she would have liked.
 
       "Really?" Nodoka said as she took a sip. It had an odd 
flavor to it, with more than a hint of sassafras and just a 
touch of salt. "Haven't you tried it before?"
 
       "Well, I've never needed it before tonight," Kasumi 
said with a rueful smile, "and I could never get Father and 
Uncle Saotome to try it."
 
       Nodoka smiled.
 
       "You know, it's very odd, but I think they actually 
enjoy having a hangover together."
 
       Nodoka laughed heartily. It was almost as frightening 
Ko Lon's cackle. Kasumi smiled into her cup.
 
       "I wonder what makes men like that?"
 
       "I think it is called, Male Bonding," Nodoka said, 
then laughed again. "For some reason, suffering together 
strengthens their friendships."
 
       "Aunt Nodoka?"
 
       "Yes, Kasumi-chan?"
 
       "Tell me about your katana."
 
       Nodoka's face sobered as she began to unwrap the old 
weapon.
 
       "Well, it was forged in 1351 by Saotome Nagateru, who 
was both a smith of the Bizen school and a samurai, being a 
retainer of the Ogasawa of Kyushu."
 
       "Weren't the swords of the Kamakura period normally 
much longer than this one?"
 
       "Yes, and so was this one. It was shortened and 
sharpened during the Edo Period for Saotome Hanimoto. It 
hasn't been touched with a stone since that time. I have 
always been quite careful about cleaning it and powdering it. 
The last time it was ever used in anger, Saotome Nabuyuki 
used it to kill two bandits who tried to rob him in December 
of 1918."
 
       "Oh, my!" Kasumi said, putting her hand to her mouth.
 
       Nodoka smiled at Kasumi's reaction. "Come now, Kasumi-
chan. Surely you've helped your father clean and store the 
family weapons, ne?"
 
       "Yes, but I never..."
 
       "I assure you, this sword saw a great deal of use well 
prior to 1918, as I am sure many of your family's weapons 
did," Nodoka said as she unwrapped her ever-present katana. 
She removed the weapon from its scabbard and laid it upon the 
table.
 
       "It's  so plain and--and deadly looking, isn't it?" 
Kasumi whispered.
 
       "Yes, it is. Saotome Nagateru made swords for lower 
ranking samurai like himself and was never particularly 
famous as a smith," Nodoka said with a chuckle, "Even so, 
many families around Nara and further south own blades very 
like this one, so they must have been quite popular as 
working blades."
 
       Nadoka pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, the took 
the sword by its hilt and turned the cutting edge up.
 
       "Here, Kasumi-chan," Nodoka said, "Drop this on the 
blade."
 
       Kasumi did so and the handkerchief cut itself in two 
with its own weight as it fell across the incredibly keen 
edge. Kasumi's eyes widened in surprise. She had seen this 
done with other swords, but they had been museum pieces and 
were much prettier than this one.
 
       "The sword belongs to you, right?"
 
       "Yes," Nodoka said with a nod of the head, "My father 
left it to me in his will."
 
       "Then Uncle Genma is..."
 
       "Muyokoshi, yes."
 
       "Your father adopted him?"
 
       "Yes, just before father died, Genma and I were 
married," Nodoka said with a sigh, "Life was so different 
back then. Genma and I were very different then."
 
        Nodoka looked down at the sword gleaming on the table 
with a sad face.
 
       "Now Ranma and I are the last of the Saotome line."
 
       "Aunt Nodoka, why are father and Uncle Saotome so 
eager to see our clans joined?"
 
       "That's a very long story, Kasumi-chan."
 
       "I'll make some more tea, then," Kasumi said with a 
smile, "We seem to have the time."
 
       "Why not, dear?" Nodoka asked as she sheathed the 
katana. "I haven't had a white night in years."


              
      
                           -----------
 
 

 
        Onna-Ranma turned his head to his right and gave 
Akane a peck on the forehead.
 
       "Yo, Tomboy!"
 
       "Who are you calling a tomboy, pervert?"
 
       "Roll over onto your other side, Akane."
 
       "Hmm, why?"
 
       "Just roll over, silly."
 
       "Oh, all right," Akane said, feigning irritation.
 
       Onna-Ranma cuddled up to Akane's back and purred. Not 
the fake sort of purr humans ordinarily make as a joke, he 
actually purred like a cat. Akane smiled at the feel of Onna-
Ranma's plump breasts crushed against her back and the 
vibration of his purring.
 
       "How do you do that?"
 
       "I don't know," Onna-Ranma said, "It just happens 
sometimes."
 
       "It feels nice."
 
       "I'm glad you like it," Onna-Ranma said, just before 
kissing Akane's neck at the join of her shoulder.
 
       "Oh!"
 
       Onna-Ranma grinned, then kissed her neck in a sequence 
of places between Akane's left shoulder and ear. 
 
       "Oh, Ranma!"
 
       "Did I get it right?" He asked as he reached across 
and cupped Akane's right breast with his left hand.
 
       "Mmm, hmm...oooh!"
 
       Onna-Ranma shifted her weight so that he could slip 
his arm beneath Akane's neck and reach up to her left breast, 
teasing the erect nipple he found there between the ring and 
middle fingers of his right hand. Akane began to pant. Onna-
Ranma began working his way down her neck with kisses. Akane 
treated him to a squirmy little wiggle, and rubbed her heart-
shaped little behind against Onna-Ranma's thighs. Onna-Ranma 
shivered in response.
 
       "Ranma?"
 
       "Hmm?" Onna-Ranma noised between kisses.
 
       "I was really hoping you would go get some hot water."
 
       Onna-Ranma kissed Akane on the neck one more time, 
then extricated his arms so he could roll Akane onto her 
back. He sat up in the bed and looked down into her eyes, 
then placed the palm of his left hand on her tummy, just 
below her navel. For reasons Akane could not understand, this 
excited her more than anything else they had done that 
evening. She could feel a warm flow of energy passing from 
his hand into her body.
 
       "He loves you very much," Onna-Ranma said, "but I  
want us to save that for our wedding night. Our wedding night 
has to be special."
 
       Akane froze, as the cold claws of genuine terror 
gripped her heart.
 
       "What do you mean HE wants?" Akane asked, "Who are 
you? The girl that drowned in the spring?" Akane's experience 
told her that she had good reason for alarm. Her own soul had 
been transferred into a doll while an ancient spirit sought 
vengeance against Ranma in her body. For all she knew right 
now, some supernatural power could be in command of Onna-
Ranma's body.
 
       "No, it's not like that!" Onna-Ranma paused, groping 
for words. "I'm sorry, Akane! This is me, Ranma--or part of 
him at least."
 
       "Are you his female self?" Akane asked softly.
 
       "Sort of," Onna-Ranma said, "We're more like opposite 
sides of the same coin. We are both the same person, but 
slightly different."
 
       "I think I understand," Akane said with smile as the 
fear in heart melted away, "So where's your male side right 
now?"
 
       "Oh,  he sort of a...well...he...uh..."
 
       "Lost it?"
 
       "Yeah." Onna-Ranma gave Akane a naughty grin, then 
whispered conspiratorially, "That third one was too much for 
him to handle."
 
       Akane giggled. Onna-Ranma bent down and kissed her. 
Akane hungrily returned it.
 
       "Do you love me, Osage no Onna?"
 
       "More than I can say, Akane," Onna-Ranma said with a 
deep sigh, "I really am Ranma at heart, you know. Whoever 
owns his heart, owns mine. I think Ranma kind of conjured me 
up to help him handle some of the stuff that's been going on 
lately."
 
       "That is so strange," Akane said with genuine wonder 
in her voice, "and so beautiful, and so very like Ranma."
 
       "Just be sure you understand one thing, Akane," Onna-
Ranma said as he began tracing circles on Akane's tummy with 
the fingers of his left hand, "Ranma _is_ going to crawl into 
your bed one night, and put his heir into this cute little 
tummy of yours."
 
       Akane shivered from head to foot as a tingling 
sensation deep inside her body began to grow. Onna-Ranma 
helped it along by caressing her now quivering stomach with 
the palm of his hand.
 
       "On our wedding night, maybe?" Akane asked, then 
gasped for air. She knew she must be blushing bright red by 
now, but was beyond all caring.
 
       "If you want it that soon, sure."
 
       "He--I mean you, really want to marry?" Akane asked, 
her eyes shining.
 
       "Oh, yes!" Onna-Ranma said firmly, "We want to marry 
you. We want to have children with you, and we want to live 
out the rest of our life with you, but we and you...the three 
of us, have some things to work out first."
 
       "We'll talk about it later," Akane said as she seized 
Onna-Ranma's left hand in both of her own.
 
       "But..."
 
       "Shh!" Akane kissed Onna-Ranma's fingers, the placed 
them right where she wanted them the most, "I've got 
something else I need to you take care of-- Right now!" Akane 
gave Onna-Ranma a smoking stare that made him shiver, then 
turn pink from head to toe. Akane reached up and pulled his 
head down until his lips met the aureole of her left breast. 
Suddenly, she was enraptured by the sweetest agony she had 
ever known as Onna-Ranma's slender fingers found their way 
inside the yearning void between her thighs. Their entwined 
aura leapt out into the room like the fires of a blast 
furnace, filling it with golden light enlivened with ethereal 
sparks of ruby red.


              
 
      
                          -----------
  
 
 
 

        Kasumi sat down and poured tea for Nodoka. The older 
woman filled Kasumi's cup before beginning her story.
 
       "According to family history and legend, the Saotome 
Clan, the Tendo Clan and the Kobayashi Clan were all part of 
the Ogasawa Clan on Kyushu, during the time before the first 
Emperor. Presumably, we were among the first settlers of 
Japan, other than the Ainu. Legend has it that we fled from a 
great civilization living in an island chain far away from 
Japan and visited many places, including China before making 
landfall in Kyushu."
 
       "Does the legend say why we left our original 
homeland?"
 
       "Well, you know how those old stories go, there's more 
than one version and there doesn't appear to be a great deal 
of truth to any of them, but they say that we either fled to 
escape the great evil our most ancient of ancestors wrought, 
or we fled because of a great, natural disaster. Some of the 
stories hold that the natural disasters were the result of 
the great evils committed in those ancient times. I'm not 
sure how much of it can be believed."
 
       "Oh, they sound wonderfully romantic. Are any of them 
written down?"
 
       "Yes, but all the scrolls are locked away in storage. 
Once my house has been restored, I'll let you borrow them."
 
       "I'd love to read them."
 
       "The curious thing is, that the Ogasawa did not 
originally consider themselves to be great warriors. They 
were primarily traders and explorers. Many of them, mostly of 
the Saotome line, took up farming and artisanship after they 
settled in Kyushu. The Kobayashi line stuck to fishing and 
ship building while the Tendo branch became the traders and 
warriors."
 
       "Oh, my."
 
       "But you know how turbulent our history is. Warfare 
became the rule rather than the exception. Every branch of 
the Ogasawa line eventually became a warrior clan. We were no 
exception to the rule. Oh, some of the Saotome remained 
farmers and a few never aspired to anything beyond being 
much-needed craftsman, but on the whole, we became a very 
warlike people."
 
       "Sekigahara changed everything, didn't it?" Kasumi 
asked, "Was Nerima really a Tendo fief?"
 
       Nodoka laughed. "It was _the_ Tendo fief, Kasumi-chan. 
The Kuno Clan were merchants. They bought their swords during 
the latter part of the Edo Period. They were never actually 
warriors. Nerima remained in Tendo hands until the Meiji 
Restoration."
 
       "Oh, my!" Kasumi said, "That explains a lot."
 
       "I'm surprised you didn't know some of these things, 
dear."
 
       "Oh, I had been told some of the story, but it was a 
long time ago and I never really believed it. We once held 
_all_ of Nerima? I always thought we were a minor family."

        "Oh, you were. Just as we and the Kobayashi were 
minor players, but that only goes to show how truly powerful 
the important families were. The Tendo were given Nerima 
after Sekigahara. The Kobayashi were given most of the 
islands in the Inland Sea. The Saotome became retainers of 
the Yagyu and settled in the high country above Nara, even 
though we still owned some small parcels of land in Kyushu."
 
       "The Yagyu?" Kasumi asked, her eyes widening with 
surprise, "the family of Yagyu Jubei?"
 
       "The same," Nodoka said with a nod of her head. She 
seldom told anyone this much about Saotome history, too few 
ever believed it. Yagyu Jubei had, in his day, been Japan's 
most formidable swordsman. Only the reputation of Musashi 
Miyamoto rivaled that of Yagyu Jubei.
 
       "What became of the Saotome holdings in Kyushu?"
 
       "Oh, they were sold, or given away. Some were taken by 
the government and sold to pay off inheritance taxes, but we 
still own one small piece."
 
       "Oh, really?"
 
       "Eh, honto-za!" Nodoka said, "it's now in my name."
 
       "Does Uncle Saotome know?"
 
       "Yes, but he cannot touch it, and would not if he 
could," Nodoka said in a steely voice, "for you see, that 
brings us to the rest of the story about the Tendo and 
Saotome clans."
 
       Kasumi refilled Nodoka's cup and Nodoka paused in her 
story to refill Kasumi's.
 
       "When the Ogasawa first settled in Kyushu, the Saotome 
were entrusted with the duty of storing and safeguarding the 
Ogasawa treasure."
 
       "Treasure?" Kasumi asked, "Why were the Saotome given 
charge of it?"
 
       "Because we were the farmers and artisans, Kasumi-
chan. Everything we did was done on the land, so it just made 
sense that the Saotome line of Ogasawa become the protectors 
of the treasure."
 
       "What sort of treasure was it?"
 
       "I am not sure," Nodoka said with a sigh, "my 
grandfather told me that it was not really a treasure at all, 
but an archive of ancient knowledge. Some of it supposedly 
tells about the terrible powers that destroyed our original 
homeland. He said those secrets were too dangerous to ever be 
made general knowledge again until the right man came along 
to wield the power they could unlock."
 
       Kasumi gasped, thinking of the Umisen-ken and the 
Yamasen-ken. Techniques so dangerous that her father had 
insisted that Genma Saotome seal them up and promise to never 
reveal them to anyone other than Ranma and Ryuu Kumon.  The 
only reason the Kumon boy had been included was because he 
had already come into possession of the Yamasen-ken. The 
boy's father had died trying to master the technique.
 
       "Is Ranma the..."
 
       "I don't know, Kasumi-chan," Nodoka said, pausing to 
take a sip of tea. "It might be Ranma, or it could just as 
easily be Ranma's child to be."
 
       "I think I am beginning to understand some of the 
things I found puzzling before now, Aunt Nodoka."
 
       "Genma does not know the whole secret, Kasumi-chan," 
Nodoka said grimly, "It is you that I have chosen to share 
this knowledge with. Genma thinks it is just a treasure that 
only Ranma or his child will be able to find. He does not 
know the true nature of what is stored on the Saotome lands."
 
       Kasumi blinked, feeling more than a little alarmed at 
this revelation.
 
       "Why me, Aunt Nodoka?"
 
       "Because, dear," Nodoka said with a genuine smile, "I 
can trust you to guide Ranma and Akane if I am not here to 
help them when the time comes. Genma's advice--well I don't 
think we need to discuss that."
 
       "More tea?" Kasumi asked with a smile, not knowing 
what else to do.
 
       "Thank you, dear. The day Saotome Hanimoto retrieved 
this sword from the man who made the new scabbard for it, he 
ran across an old soothsayer. She asked to see the sword's 
naked blade, then told him that the Saotome line would one 
day come close to utter extinction, but that it would rejoin 
with the Tendo and Kobayashi. She said that once the Ogasawa 
were again joined into a single tribe, that they would then 
conquer the very heavens."
 
       "Oh, my!" Kasumi said, "Is Uncle Genma a ..."
 
       "Kobayashi? Yes," Nodoka said with a nod, "and now 
Ranma will most likely marry a Tendo."
 
       Nodoka stared Kasumi in the eye for a moment before 
she spoke again.
 
       "I am sorry to burden you with this dear, but there 
are several more things you need to know in case the time 
comes and I am not present. Will you agree to tell no one, 
until and unless that time comes?"
 
       "Yes, Aunt Nodoka," Kasumi said, wishing her heart 
would slow down, "I will."
 
 
 
              
      
                      -----------
 
  
 
 
       Akane lay on her back pleasantly exhausted, enjoying 
the feel of Onna-Ranma snuggled up to her side, but just as 
she began sliding into that dreamy stage of semi-sleep, Onna-
Ranma sat up. Akane opened her eyes. Her fiance was sitting 
seiza (with his legs folded beneath him), fiddling with his 
pigtail and not quite looking in the direction of Akane's 
face. Akane felt her vague annoyance evaporate at the sight 
of this. Ranma only fiddled with is pigtail when he was truly 
embarrassed about something, or was placing himself at grave, 
emotional risk, as when apologizing or making a confession. 
Such a thing did not happen often. Akane keenly felt a sense 
of foreboding. 
 
       "What's the matter, Ranma?" She asked.
 
       "I...you promise...First you have to promise you won't 
laugh at me."
 
       Akane felt herself smiling her sunniest smile. 
 
       "It's times like that I wish I could paint, Ranma," 
Akane said, "A camera could never do you justice when you are 
like this."
 
       "What's that supposed to mean?" Onna-Ranma asked as a 
scowl marred his lovely face.
 
       "It means I love you and I promise not to laugh at 
you--if I can help it."
 
       Onna-Ranma breathed a deep sigh and looked disgusted.
 
       "It's the best I can do, Ranma," Akane said, quickly. 
"I won't make a promises to you when I don't know if I can 
keep it."
 
       "Well," Onna-Ranma hesitated, his face reflecting his 
internal struggle and indecision. "I guess that's fair 
enough. I've never let you see..." His voice trailed off and 
Akane could not hear the last of Onna-Ranma's speech.
 
       "Never let me see what, Ranma?"
 
       "Akane we need to talk," Onna-Ranma said hurriedly, 
suddenly much louder than before and sounding determined.
 
       "Okay, so?" Akane said. She was truly puzzled now.
 
       "Uh, girl to girl I mean," Onna-Ranma said.
 
       Akane's heart froze as she stifled a giggle. It would 
have been a very typical, girlish, one girl to another type 
of giggle, but she was afraid he might misunderstand. Akane 
rolled out of the bed to her feet and put her hands on her 
hips.
 
       "Okay, Ranma, but first let's put some clothes on," 
Akane said with a happy smile.
 
       "Huh?"
 
       "Girls don't usually talk "girl to girl" while they're 
naked, Ranma," Akane could not keep herself from giggling 
this time, "It just isn't done."
 
       "Oh," Onna-Ranma said, then reach towards his shirt 
and boxers on the floor.
 
       "No, silly!" Akane said, throwing him a pair of her 
pajamas. They draped across his head and left shoulder. "Put 
these on."
 
       Onna-Ranma pulled the pajamas from his shoulder and 
stared at them for a moment, then he stared at Akane for a 
few seconds, then he shrugged.
 
       "Well I guess it makes sense in a way," he said as he 
began to dress, "The top's gonna be a little tight in the 
chest, though."
 
       Akane's ears burned at this. The kami must be crazy, 
or have a serious appetite for practical jokes.  No natural 
girl in heaven or on earth could have the petite figure and 
musculature of an Onna-Ranma, then still muster enough fat to 
make more than half a boob. Yet here Onna-Ranma sat before 
her, Hollywood grade breasts threatening to burst the darts 
of Akane's pajama top. It wasn't fair, but Akane had to admit 
that it was funny--to a kami maybe.
 
       "That's okay, Ranma," Akane said with another giggle, 
"I'll do my best to remember we're talking girl to girl and 
not lover to lover." 
 
       Akane felt an involuntary shiver run through her body 
as she said the words, "lover to lover." I never thought I'd 
be saying something like that, she thought. Onna-Ranma froze 
for second in the middle of pulling the pajama bottoms over 
the flair of his hips, then continued. I guess it got to him 
too, Akane thought, as she finished donning another pair of 
pajamas. She hopped back up onto the bed and sat seiza, 
facing her lover and fiance.
 
       "So what are we talking about here, Osage no Onna?" 
Akane asked with an impish gleam in her eye.
 
       Onna-Ranma grimaced at Akane's epithet, then giggled. 
 
       "HE just calls me, Red."
 
       "I think I like Ranko better," Akane said with a 
smile, knowing that the girl in front of her was talking 
about Ranma when she said the word he with emphasis, "Do you 
mind if I call you that?"
 
       "No," Onna-Ranma said, suddenly looking shy, "Not 
really, but he isn't very fond of that name."
 
       "Oh, I'm sorry," Akane said, "I know you were unhappy 
about hiding things from your mother, but some of the best 
times we've had together were when you were pretending to be 
my country cousin, Ranko."
 
       "It's okay," Onna-Ranma said, "there's no reason for 
him to have his way all the time about everything. I mean, 
it's not like Kami-sama died and made him boss!" Ranko said, 
then giggled. Akane joined her.
 
       "Where is he right now?"
 
       "Well, he's asleep, kinda."
 
       "Is he going to remember this when he wakes up?"
 
       "Oh, yeah," Ranko said as her eyes widened, "and he'll 
try to give me grief about it, too. You might not get to see 
me for several days after this."
 
       Akane felt her heart go out to the girl now sitting in 
front of her.
 
       "Is he really that bad?"
 
       "No, Akane, it's...it's not like that at all!" Ranko 
said. "Ranma and I are the same person, but we were born a 
guy and we can only stand being a girl for just so long or 
just so much, and then we have to be, well, extra-manly for a 
while."
 
       "Oh, great!" Akane said, trying to dampen her 
annoyance, "I guess tomorrow he'll be very much the macho, 
jerk again." She stared down at her hands. Her shoulders had 
slumped and she had begun to rub the forefinger of her left 
with the thumb and forefinger of her right hand without even 
thinking about it.
 
       "Maybe, maybe not, Akane."
 
       "Huh?" Akane perked up a little.
 
       "It's a lot easier for him to be his real self here."
 
       "Are you trying to tell me that Ranma Saotome is not a 
macho jerk?"
 
       "He is _always_ going to be  macho, Akane," Ranko said 
with a giggle, "Would you love him if he weren't?"
 
       "Ah, well," Akane said, then paused to think. She's 
got a point. I wouldn't be the least bit interested in him if 
were anything less than thoroughly masculine. "No, I guess 
not."
 
       "He is trying to be less of a jerk, even though maybe 
you haven't noticed it yet."
 
       "Dammit!" Akane said as tears began to sting her eyes, 
"Why does it always have to be so hard for us!"
 
       "It's going to get harder Akane, but in a new way. 
Things are different now that we all know where we stand with 
one another," Ranko said as she patted Akane's hand.
 
       "By that, I gather you mean, me, you and Ranma, 
right?"
 
       "Oh, sure! I have to include this part of him," Ranko 
said, indicating herself with a shrug, "Even if Ranma got rid 
of his curse tonight, I'd still be around. We have memories 
now that run so deep that they've buried themselves into our 
bones, Akane."
 
       Akane felt relieved, "I'm glad."
 
       "Not that I think he'll be all that keen on getting 
rid of the curse after tonight," Ranko said with mischievous 
gleam in her eye.
 
       Akane looked at Ranko, then squealed as she realized 
what Ranko meant.
 
       "Oh! I didn't think about him remembering _that_ 
tomorrow!" Akane said as she put both palms to her cheeks. "I 
hope I haven't ruined him!"
 
       "Nah! No way!" Ranko said with a dismissive wave of 
her hand, "He wasn't planning on going after a cure until he 
was satisfied with your training anyway. Now I think maybe he 
might give up on the idea altogether."
 
       "That wasn't quite what I meant," Akane said in a low 
tone, "but I get your point."
 
        Ranko stared at Akane in confusion for a moment, then 
gave Akane an evil grin. Akane did what any girl would do 
under such circumstances, she giggled. This was followed by 
Ranko giggling. Then the two of them began laughing and 
squealing together. Call it, a fit of "female bonding," and 
as it goes with all such things, it did eventually end.
 
       "Ranko?" Akane asked, hating the timidity in her 
voice, "Is Ranma serious about my training?"
 
       "Sure!" Ranko said, sounding somewhat surprised, "He's 
been training you indirectly since we got here."
 
       "You mean he thinks all that dancing around he does 
the dojo while I try to hit him is training?"
 
       "It has been training, Akane!" Ranko said, sounding 
amused, "You have gotten a lot better because of it. You're 
faster. You're more precise and you don't telegraph your 
punches nearly as much as you did when we first met."
 
       Akane answered with an exasperated sigh.
 
       "Look me in the eye, Akane."
 
       Akane looked up at Ranko with an eye-piercing gaze.
 
       "Now take my hands," Ranko said as she held them out 
and wiggled her fingers.
 
       Akane took Ranko's hands in her own and gasped, amazed 
by the things she had never really paid any attention to in 
the past. Ranko's hands were not very feminine at all. Her 
palms were small, and almost square. Her fingers were nicely 
proportioned to her small palms, but shorter in relation to 
them than a woman's fingers usually were. There were other 
differences which made an even greater impression upon Akane. 
Ranko's hands felt like bundles of living, steel cable 
wrapped in hard leather. The skin of the outer portions of 
her palms felt as tough as the sole of a leather shoe. So did 
the skin between Ranko's thumbs and forefingers. The back of 
Ranko's left hand had a hard, bony knot in the center.
 
       "You broke this left hand once, didn't you Ranko?"
 
       Ranko nodded her head. "Shattered it, actually. I 
stayed laid up in bed with it for a week." Ranko shuddered at 
the memory.  "Look at the backs of 'em, Akane."
 
       Akane looked down at the backs of Ranko's hands. The 
knuckles of her forefingers and middle fingers where they 
joined her palm were huge and covered by heavy callous. She 
could tell that Ranko must sometimes  have a difficult time 
moving those four joints. Thick calluses covered all the 
knuckles of both Ranko's hands, even her thumbs. There were 
also a great many scars. Too many scars. Some large, some 
small, most of them from cuts but more than a few of them 
were from burns--bad burns. The sight of them took Akane's 
breath away because she knew that Ranma's scars nearly always 
faded in a month or less.
 
       "Now you know why my handwriting is never going to win 
any prizes," Ranko said sadly, "I can do quite well with a 
brush. Large characters on a big piece of paper don't give me 
any trouble, but a ballpoint requires too many tiny 
movements. It has been part of the price, Akane."
 
       "For being as good as you are in The Art?"
 
       "No," Ranko said with a shake of her head, "for being 
impatient and trying to accomplish too much at one time," she 
said, then gave Akane's hands a hard squeeze.
 
       Akane looked up at Ranko in surprise, "That should 
have hurt!"
 
       "But it didn't, did it?"
 
       "You mean all this time he's been...he's been..." 
Akane paused to grit her teeth in anger, "He's been 
_encouraging_ me to use him for a punching bag so I could 
build up my hands!"
 
       "Yeah, and it worries him sick when you go outside and 
start breaking bricks. He thinks it's unladylike."
 
       "Unladylike?" Akane asked. She was suddenly angry. 
"What would he know about being ladylike?"
 
       "Hey!" Ranko said in haughty tones as she put her 
hands behind her head and struck a classic, pinup pose. The 
pajama top very nearly succumbed to the resulting pressure. 
"I sprang fully grown from the mind of Ranma Saotome. Ain't 
_I_ ladylike?"
 
       Akane's anger vanished as she was overcome by 
paroxysms of laughter. She looked at Ranko through the tears 
welling up in her eyes and shook her head. Ranko feigned a 
look of great hurt and wounded pride in answer.
 
       "You are _very_ sexy, Ranko, just not very...You 
aren't very..."
 
       "I ain't very ladylike, am I?"
 
       "No!"
 
       "Good," Ranko said, then began laughing along with 
Akane.
 
       "I could show you how to be much more sexy, Ranko-
chan."
 
       "Ooh, that sounds like fun, Akane-chan," Ranko said 
with a grin, "but Ranma is getting nervous as it is."

        This of course constituted the need for a long, 
rather pregnant silence.
 
       "Next time then?" Akane asked hopefully.
 
       Ranko looked blank for a moment, as though some 
invisible person by her side was whispering in her ear. "I 
won't make any promises Akane, but maybe just for you--if you 
are a good little girl in the meantime."
 
       "Okay," Akane said, giving Ranko a little pout, 
knowing full well what it would do to Ranma, where ever he 
was, "be that way if you must."
 
       "Do you know when we fell in love with you?"
 
       "That day in the bath?"
 
       "Well no, not exactly. We did sort of fall in lust 
with you though."
 
       "Oh, well I did notice that!" Akane said, "It was a 
little too much to ignore."
 
       Ranko's face turned bright red. "Hey! Sometimes that 
happens to guy before he can stop it, you know!"
 
       Akane rolled her eyes.
 
       "So when did you fall in love with me?"
 
       "When you charged into the school yard and whipped all 
those guys that next morning."
 
       "What?"
 
       Ranko nodded her head and grinned, "Even Ranma would 
have had second thoughts about trying that until he saw you 
in action. We knew right then and there that we weren't being 
saddled with some cute little, know nothing, do nothing 
girl."
 
       I really should close my mouth, Akane thought. She's 
going to start laughing at me in a minute and I'll have it 
coming. Besides, it's not very ladylike.
 
       "You could be as good as I am, Akane," Ranko said, 
"but it won't be easy, even though you are already good. I 
just wanted you to know that there is a price to pay."
 
       "I'll pay it, Ranko."
 
       "You gotta learn to breathe right."
 
       "I already know how to breathe," Akane said sounding 
vaguely annoyed.
 
       "Not in the best way, you don't. You also hafta learn 
to swim," Ranko said with a wicked smile.
 
       Akane felt her face begin to redden.
 
       "I suppose I have to learn to cook and be graceful 
too, huh?" Akane asked in angry tones, "Will bridal training 
count?"
 
       "You're gettin' it all wrong, Akane. You know that 
both the Tendo-ryuu and the Saotome-ryuu have techniques for 
fighting in the water. You can't get your second dan with out 
mastering them."
 
       Akane looked down at her hands again. Ranko was right. 
Those techniques were required and she had never learned them 
because she could never even manage to float on her back in 
the water.
 
       "The only time you have a problem with being graceful 
is when you start worrying about being clumsy. You'll train 
yourself out of that, and we could care less if you never 
learn to cook. Ranma already knows how to cook. That's one of 
the things that ten years of living on the road will do for 
you."
 
       Akane looked up at Ranko her eyes shining with tears 
of frustration.
 
       "But I want to cook for him, Ranko!"
 
       "Believe me, Akane. He would be a lot happier if you 
concentrated on mastering The Art first. The cooking can wait 
until this challenge is met. It is the more important of the 
two."
 
       "What will Aunt Nodoka think?"
 
       "You let me and Ranma worry about Mom, okay? You just 
concentrate on what we tell you. Everything else will work 
out."
 
       "How can you be so sure?" Akane asked.
 
       "That is one of the first things you must learn, 
Akane."
 
       "What's that?"
 
       "You must learn to be sure, even when there's no 
reason to be. Just like the way you forced Ranma to take 
tonight."
 
       "How can you be sure of something when there is no 
reason for it, Ranko?"
 
       "Simple," Ranko answered with a smile, "You just make 
sure you become the reason."
 
       "I don't know if I can do that, Ranko."
 
       "You can and you will, Akane," Ranko said in a gentle 
voice, "Ranma and I are going to help you with that."
 
       Akane turned inwards to her own thoughts for a moment. 
She could see that Ranko was at least partly correct. Most of 
her really bad failures had happened when she started 
something and then suffered a lack of confidence in her own 
abilities.  Nearly all of her best successes had come when 
she had simply thrown caution to the wind and worked at 
something until she succeeded.
 
       "You and Ranma could stand to learn a thing or two as 
well," Akane said.
 
       "Tell me!" Ranko said, "HE doesn't find school work 
interesting or challenging. It makes it hard for me to 
concentrate on the stuff."
 
       "So you're the reason he's been catching up on his 
schoolwork without me nagging him."
 
       "Ah, yeah. You could say that."
 
       So he doesn't find his school work challenging, huh? 
Akane thought to herself. I'll just have to find a way to fix 
that.
 
       "What are you thinking, Akane?" Ranko asked with a 
note of concern in her voice.
 
       "I'm not going to tell you," Akane said with a sly 
grin.
 
       "Why not?"
 
       "Because you don't need to know, Ranko-chan." Akane's 
smile grew larger.
 
       Ranko stared hard into Akane's eyes, for a moment, 
then relaxed. 
 
       "Okay, whatever you think best. Just be careful, 
okay?"
 
       "Don't worry," Akane said with a gentle smile, "I 
won't do anything too drastic."
 
       "Look, I'd like to visit some more, but I've got to go 
let Ranma out of this body."
 
       Akane seized Ranko by the hand as she got down from 
the bed.
 
       "Ranko?"
 
       "Yes, Akane?"
 
       "Make Ranma come say good night to me before he goes 
off to study, pretty please?"
 
       Ranko gave Akane a huge smile and a peck on the cheek.
 
       "You bet, tomboy."
 
       "Good night, pervert."
 
       "Ha! Look who's talkin'!"
 
       Akane smiled at Ranko's departing back. After a few 
moments she fluffed the pillows and laid down on Ranma's bed. 
She pulled the sheet up over herself and closed her eyes. A 
kind of warm glow that she had not felt since before her 
mother died coursed through her body. She stretched and 
opened her eyes, only to find Otoko-Ranma looking down at 
her. He had that look in his eyes again. The look that said, 
"Mine!" Akane smiled and held her arms out to him. He bent 
over and gave her a passionate kiss while she pressed his 
hard, flat chest to her body. Just the feel of his weight 
made her tingle in all the right places. After a long moment, 
Ranma stood up and looked down at her again. She took his 
left hand and placed it upon her tummy where Onna-Ranma had 
placed that same hand earlier in the evening. Akane stared 
Ranma in the eye and knew that her own face was growing hard 
as she spoke.
 
       "You have to train me first," Akane said as coldly as 
she could.
 
       Ranma grinned. It was that ferocious, cocky, self-
assured, macho-jerk grin he always got when accepting a 
challenge. His blue-eyes glittered, making Akane think of a 
line from the Odyssey, "the storm-grey sea."
 
       "I know, Akane," Ranma said, sounding faintly amused, 
"I know."
 
       Then he bent down and kissed her again. After their 
lips parted he said, "And you will have to learn, my love. 
You are _gonna_ learn."



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