Several weeks ago, I posted a story called 'Ranma's Apartment', set
during Ranma and Akane's nineteenth year. This is a direct sequel. The
events here are dependent on those. It's available at my fanfic page:
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/6413/fanfiction.html
Characters of Rumiko Takahashi and Kosuke Fujiashima and the liknesses
thereof are used without permission
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Ranma's Apartment 2: Curses
by Christopher Jones
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Genma Saotome woke with the sun as he always had for as long
as he could remember. He stood, letting the blankets slide off of
his immense furred belly and stretched several times to work the
kinks out of his muscles.
He pulled his gi out, and laid it on the dresser beaureu
along with a light colored bandanna. Gathering those, and his bath
things together, he made his way through the narrow hall and down
the stairway to the bathroom. Several minutes later, he emerged
clean and human, and ready for his morning sparring session for
his son, just like he always had for as long as he had had Ranma.
But Ranma wasn't in the guest room, and hadn't been for over
a month.
It just wasn't the same. Genma sighed and went down to
breakfast.
Kasumi had made a lovely combination of rice, misu, and
baked fish. He ate with relish, but wasn't able to finish what was
on his plate. He hadn't for several days now. It just wasn't the
same without Ranma. He briefly considered snagging a slice of
pickled daikon from Tendou-kun's plate, just for fun. The fatherly
martial artist was buried deep in his paper, however, and wouldn't
even notice the theft.
Genma sighed and ate one last slice of his own pickle. "Say,
Tendou-kun, how do you feel about going to the park to play shogi
today."
"Mmm..." Soun nodded and turned a page in the paper. "Rice
is up again. Amazing how well the economy is doing after such
depression."
"Father, Uncle Saotome, are you done?"
Genma sighed and nodded as Kasumi took his plate.
"Hey, everybody, how do I look?"
It was Akane. Genma sighed as he took in her outfit. As she
had most days since Ranma left, she wore black. Today it was a
black leotard and tights with a short black skirt. She said she
was 'mourning her engagement'. It was obvious, however, that she
had already given up on his son and moved on to greener pastures.
She was gone until nine or later every night, "Studying," she
always said.
He had also accidentally overheard once how her new
boyfriend liked her in black.
"Akane!" Kasumi exclaimed, "Your hair!" Apparently, the
young man also liked very short hair, because now, Akane's hair
was only about five or six inches long, carefully arranged in a
very fashionable page boy style. What kind of boy liked short hair
on a girl?
"I got up early and went to the stylist. How does it look?"
Nabiki sleepily gave her sister a 'thumbs up' and went back
to her homework. Kasumi set Genma's dirty plate back down and
fussed over Akane's hair for several minutes. It was a very
attractive style, but it was obvious that it was far too daring
for the eldest girl's taste.
Within an hour, all three girls had left. Kasumi went to the
market and both her sisters boarded a train for their school.
Soun continued to read the paper. Genma walked into the
kitchen and poured a cup of cold water over his head.
Shambling out into the living room, he turned on the small
television and stared at a gameshow.
*There's no dwelling on the past,* he told himself. You went
on from day to day, and fought for what you know is right. Right?
No, things just weren't the same.
* * *
Tofuu Ono stood in front of the jewelry store window gazing
at the myriad of junk jewelry, and the few precious items locked
into a plexiglass box. When he dared to go so far as the entrance
of the store, he could see several more of the long, gilded
display cabinets.
He kept telling himself that his future lay in one of those
cabinets, but he just couldn't bring himself to open the door and
walk inside.
*I must look like a criminal,* he thought, *Casing out the
target for a robbery.* He paced back and forth in front of the
store, avoiding making eye contact with its patrons and employees.
Once, he even went so far as to walk around the block. Telling
himself that he should just give up only made him frustrated.
Within minutes, he was back in front of the doorway. Cautiously,
as if he were to be shot for a wrong step, he opened the glass
door and stepped inside.
* * *
Ranma was having a difficult time concentrating on his
Psychology class. It wasn't that he had an easy time in *any* of
his classes, but he was having an exceptionally difficult time
today.
It started with a bit of homesickness earlier that morning.
Ranma had never really had any home other than the Tendou house.
He could barely remember the place he lived in with his parents
before the training trip, and any place he stayed with his father
since was only temporary.
Ranma found that he missed the early morning bustle of the
Tendou home. Sparring with his father every morning, the loud,
sometimes violent conversation over breakfast, running to school,
or the train station with Akane every morning.
Since he had moved out a month ago, all that was a thing of
the past. True, he saw Akane every day, but he had actually
managed to avoid all his enemies for the entire month. Life was
becoming... peaceful.
Peace was nice, but it was hell if you were trying to stay
in shape. Ranma felt like he was losing his tone. He still made
every step a balance exercise, just the way Oyaji had taught him
when he was six, he still did more calisthenics every morning than
the most rabid soldier, and he still participated in every contest
he could find. He rapidly found that without constant challenge
from martial artists of his own level or above, like Ryouga or
Happosai, he was losing his razor edge.
*Maybe I should hunt down Pig-boy and pick a fight,* he
thought as the professor drew a diagram on the black board. *Maybe
make a delivery order from the Nekohanten, and see what happens.*
Ranma smiled as he considered the chain reaction explosion of
violence that would happen if all his fiancees and enemies
actually managed to track him down.
He missed the end of class in his reverie. He noticed the
other students filing past him, and leapt up to join them.
Suddenly, he didn't have time to worry about his skill level
anymore. Today was the first day of his new job, and he had to be
there in an hour.
It wasn't martial arts, but it was something that he had
experience in, and considered himself skilled at.
* * *
Tofuu stared intensely at the selections of rings. He had to
select one, and he knew it. Every time he thought of the person he
wanted to give it to...
"Kasumi!"
The clerk looked at the odd man who was browsing her jewelry
display. He had been there for hours, ever since the beginning of
her shift. Every few minutes, his glasses would fog over and he
would shout that same name.
Finally, the man pointed at one, seemingly at random, and
gestured to the clerk. After taking it out of the case and handing
to him for closer inspection, she noticed that he held it like it
was about to explode. After a few seconds of careful examination,
he gingerly placed it backed on the counter in front of her.
"Is this the one you want?"
The man nodded maniacally. He looked like he was on drugs.
With some interest, she noted that it was one of the most
expensive rings in the display. The man had taste. He also was
only wearing a simple martial artist's gi. The kind of people who
usually bought that kind of ring came into her store wearing
expensive suits, and frequently had a limousine waiting just
outside.
"Can you afford this? It is 300,000 yen, you know."
Still smiling that same insane grin, the man pulled several
items out of his pocket. His house keys, wallet, a plastic finger
bone, two buttons, a business card--
*Hmm... Tofuu Ono, Chiropractice and Shiatsu. Man's a
doctor. Looks like I make my commission today!*
-- a prescription tablet, a worn paperback novel, a
stethoscope, and thirty two 10,000 yen bills.
The clerk quickly rang up the sale in case the frazzled
doctor started wandering the shop again. "All set! Engraving is
free with purchase. Is there anything you want on the ring?"
The man's expression became terrified, but quickly manic
again as he pulled out a piece of paper.
The clerk read the paper, and almost started to cry. "To my
dearest Kasumi. I love you, and always have. Please be my wife."
"Ah, honey, this is just a little long to put inside one
ring. Can you shorten it?"
"Ah... Ah... I love you, Kasumi. Marry me?"
The girl smiled and went to work while the doctor sat down
on the floor and nervously began to pull up tile.
* * *
Megumi pondered her English homework over laundry. Laundry
day was the time she sat aside each week to do her non-design
homework, and she had plenty of it.
*ding*
The dryer politely informed her that her clothes were warm,
and hopefully non-soggy. She piled the mass of clothes into a
plastic basket, and made for the elevator that would take her back
to her floor. *Another load, another lesson,* she thought
sarcastically.
When she reached the fifth floor, she spied a buxom redhead
coming in from the stairwell. The girl was wearing a waitress
uniform, a frilly white blouse, a short red skirt, and red pumps.
She seemed tired, as if she had just worked a full shift, which
Megumi reasoned was probably the case.
Megumi picked up a basket of laundry from just inside her
door, and started back for the laundry room. As Megumi turned to
go back down the elevator, the girl waved and smiled wanly at her
and let herself inside an apartment.
Megumi smiled back. *Must be a new tenant.*
Then, as the door closed, Megumi realized what was wrong.
That was *Ranma's* room!
She scampered back for her own room and grabbed a new
handlebar she had bought for her brother's motorcycle.
Several possibilities ran through her mind. The way the girl
was dressed could mean any of a dozen things. The two that seemed
the most likely were first, that the woman was a thief,
masquerading as a delivery girl, or she was one of the *other*
fiancees.
Her eyes narrowed at the thought of the martial artist
cheating on Akane. More than likely, the girl had tracked Ranma
down and was laying in wait for him, but Megumi had become good
friends with the drama student, and would be most displeased with
her suite-mate if he were to toss her over.
She decided on a simple course of action. She would walk in
with the handlebar behind her back, kindly ask what the girl was
doing there, and chase her from the apartment with the steel bar.
Nervously, she made her move. She darted in through the
shared bathroom and stepped out into Ranma's room.
"Oh, hi, Megumi. 'Sup?" The girl was sprawled out on Ranma's
futon, reading a manga. She had kicked her shoes off, and was
absently rubbing her stocking feet together. "How'd you do on your
test today?"
"Huh?" How did the girl know that she had taken a design
test today? For that matter, how did the girl know her name? "Who
are you and what are you doing in here?" Megumi considered
bringing the handlebar to bear, but decided to hold back in case
the hussy was armed.
"I live h... Oh. Hell, this looks awful, don't it?" The girl
smiled up at Megumi in what she assumed was meant to be a
reassuring fashion. "I can explain, really!"
"You better explain, or I'm going to make you wish you had!"
"Megumi, now..."
"Don't you 'now' me, Miss. Start talking!
"Okay. First, bring me a glass of hot water. Then I'll
explain everything." The girl cautiously stood to her full height.
Megumi got her first real look at her. She was about a hundred and
sixty centimeters tall, with flaming red hair and a slightly pouty
expression. She stood casually, with her hands on her hips like a
boy. While the girl appeared to be rather soft skinned, Megumi
noted a certain tenseness at her joints. With a sinking feeling
she remembered that all of Ranma's fiancees were skilled martial
artists. Megumi began to feel her grip on the handlebar loosen.
"Hot water?" she asked nervously.
The red head nodded.
Carefully keeping the girl in front of her, Megumi filled a
cup with warm water from the sink. She looked away for a second to
turn the faucet off, and when she looked back the girl had
stripped off her blouse, and was preparing to drop her skirt as
well.
"Pervert! What do you think you're doing?" Without thinking,
Megumi brought the handlebar to bear against the girl.
Without so much as a breath, the girl's hand whipped out and
snatched handlebars away from her. "C'mon, Megumi. I ain't gonna
hurt you or nuthin'. Okay?"
Megumi started to tremble as the girl pulled her skirt down.
Oddly enough, the girl was wearing boxer shorts and a man's
undershirt under her uniform.
"Here, lemme have that and..." the girl took the full cup
from her and upended it over her head.
"Viola!" said Ranma as he rose to his full height.
Megumi fainted.
* * *
Genma watched the Tendou's prepare for an outing the next
day. The weather was starting to turn colder, so this would be the
last chance they would get to go to the beach this year.
They had asked him to come, but he really didn't feel much
like it. It was too hot, wet fur wasn't all that comfortable, and
sunscreen always turned his white fur to an odd shade of green.
Besides, Ranma wouldn't be there, so there would be little
opportunity to train.
He sighed and went back to his gameshow.
Kasumi smiled as she polished the table and looked out the
back at the sky above. The moon and stars were just starting to
come out. They were so beautiful, just like glittering diamonds.
Nabiki and Akane both came down the stairs in bikinis.
Nabiki's was a bright red color, with lace trim. It looked a
little much like lingerie for Kasumi's taste, but she smiled her
approval. Akane's was ,of course, black. Kasumi worried a bit
about her sister's sudden change of wardrobe, but apparently
Ranma, and more importantly Akane was happy with it. They were
trying so hard to be nice to each other. The dark swimsuit really
did go well with her new hairstyle, as well. She wondered in the
back of her mind if her sister had invited Ranma. Dismissing the
thought, She saw Akane glance at the clock hanging behind her.
Akane's expression became a bit worried, and a little
expectant as she noted the time. Kasumi watched her little sister
run up the stairs. A few minutes later, she came down dressed in
the leotard and skirt she wore to school. Picking up her bookbag,
she ran out the door.
"Where is she going?" Nabiki wondered aloud.
"To study, of course," Kasumi answered, cheerily. She
grinned at the petulant expression on Nabiki's face.
"Please!"
Ranma's departure had deprived her sister of her favorite
source of spending money. On top of that insult, She hadn't been
able to locate the martial artist when he wasn't at school, and
couldn't find out who Akane's 'New Boyfriend' was either. Nabiki
had been left out of the loop, and was not happy about the
situation. Someone would have to pay. If nothing else, her ongoing
investigation was getting expensive.
"What Akane does is her own business, Nabiki. She's an
adult, now, you know."
"I don't buy it, Sis. She's up to something and you know
it!"
"Akane's just maturing. You should respect that, Nabiki."
In their discussion, neither girl heard the nervous doctor
pacing back and forth in front of the dojo walls.
* * *
"It has to be a trick! You're an escape artist, or you have
a sister who knows..."
Ranma dumped the cup of cool water over his head. Almost
instantaneously, his tall, masculine form was replaced by that of
the young, redheaded beauty. She was wearing the same, wet
undershirt and boxers Ranma had been, and was adjusting the
drawstring.
Megumi heard a low moan come out of her throat. "This is
impossible!"
"If only it were," she answered sadly.
"What...?"
"I been stuck like this for almost four years. I've kinda
had to accept it."
"Who... are you?"
"Ranma. Who else. This is just my cursed form... you see--"
"CURSED FORM?!?!" Megumi shouted. "MAGIC?!?! IMPOSSIBLE!!!!"
"You all ready said that.
"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!"
Ranma shrugged in response. "Megumi--"
"I mean, it violates every physical law there is! You can't
just make thirty or forty kilograms disappear that way!!! What
about Conservation of Mass?! What about the first law of
Thermodynamics?!?!"
"Megumi--"
"You can't expect me to just believe in 'magic' like some
fairy tale! It's insane!"
"Tell me about it. I don't know about all the physics or
chemistry or biology. I just know it happens. The only way I have
to explain it is 'magic'." She poured another cup of warm water
over herself to punctuate her statement.
Megumi was about to protest further, but the sad look on his
face halted her speech. "This is somehow your father's fault,
isn't it?"
Ranma smiled sardonically and nodded. "Bingo. It was about
three and a half years ago, at the tail end of my trainin' trip.
Old man had been looking for this mystic trainin' ground most of
his life, so when we found it, he didn't bother to read the signs,
or even listen to the guide. Just started fightin' over those
damned pools. He got Chaunmauniichaun, Spring of drowned panda. He
gets wet..."
"He turns into a panda bear. And you have...?"
"Nyaniichaun."
"Spring of drowned girl."
Ranma nodded. "Yup, so anytime I get wet, I change."
To demonstrate, Ranma poured a cup cold water over himself.
*Herself,* Megumi corrected. "I... don't--"
As if to corroborate his story, Akane let herself in and sat
down next to the red head as if nothing were out of the normal.
She looked as if she had been running.
"Hi, Ranma!"
"Yo, Akane. WOW! You get a haircut?!"
Akane's slim hand went to the short, delicate, sweeping
lengths of hair that now framed her face. "Do you like it? It's
like that hairstyle I showed you in the magazine last week."
Ranma nodded. "It looks great. What'd Kasumi say, though?"
"She was a little shocked, but I think she likes it."
Ranma nodded. "Sounds about right. How was the train ride?"
Almost experimentally, Megumi poured some warm water over
Ranma to gauge Akane's reaction.
Akane puffed a little. "I ran into Mousse on the train. I
led him back over to the high school. So far as I can tell, none
of them have even looked at this place yet."
Akane didn't so much as blink as Ranma shifted size and
shape.
"How was rehearsal?" Ranma asked.
Feeling a little more relaxed, Akane ran her fingers through
her short hair, and stretched. "Same-old same-old. I think I'm
going to pound that sexist old creep, Miramora, if he doesn't quit
treating me like a moron. He directs like he's doing a first grade
play."
Megumi's jaw dropped open in shock. "This is absolutely
normal for you people, isn't it?"
"What?" Akane looked at her in bafflement.
Megumi poured another cup of cool water over the martial
artist. Akane shook her head but finally she got it. "Oh. She just
found out about the curse, didn't she?"
Ranma nodded, and returned to her manga.
In bemusement, Megumi entertained herself with a bucket of
cold water and a warm kettle. Ranma was obviously a little
irritated, but he bore the brunt of her bemused inspection with
grace.
What really fascinated her was Akane's reaction to her
suite-mate. She was able to treat the male Ranma completely the
same as the female. In fact, when she doused Ranma in the middle
of a sentence, Akane didn't bat so much as an eyelash as Ranma's
voice shifted octaves.
*What could be weirder?* She thought.
Ranma and Akane spent about an hour discussing what had
happened during the day at school. It was something that they did
by unspoken agreement to try and relieve their respective short
tempers. By venting about classmates and teachers, they managed to
avoid venting on each other.
Another facet of their conversation was that they did not
mention any of their rivals. Ranma's fiancees and Akane's suitors
were not discussed. Akane found that it was much easier to keep
her temper this way, and Ranma found that he had time to think
about what he wanted to say because he was much less defensive.
"So why's Yuki got the role if she can't do it right?" Ranma
asked.
*splash* Megumi poured cold water over her suitemate, trying
to examine exactly what was happening in a sickened manner.
Ranma's body merely flinched away from her. During the 'flinch'
Ranma's skin grew slightly paler, and the golden-copper highlights
in his hair spread and shifted so that the entire mop was a bright
scarlet.
"The director has the hots for her, that's why!" Akane drew
a doodle of a man being impaled with a megaphone in her notebook.
"Seriously, Ranma. If you heard *half* the rumours about this
guy..."
"Hmmm... I have a pretty bad time with rumours myself,
Akane. You never know, the guy might just have a bad rep."
"I would be willing to believe that if he wasn't such an
ass. I swear, he's even made a pass at me a few times!"
Megumi was fairly amused by the fact that Ranma, as a girl,
became quite defensive about Akane's statement. The redhead sat up
from her sprawl and loomed over Akane.
"Maybe I should go have a talk with this guy..."
Akane's eyes flashed, as did Ranma's. Something unsaid
passed between them, and Akane changed the subject. It was just
too close to their sore points.
"So, Ranma, are you having any trouble with the workout
facilities?"
*splash* The warm kettle did exactly the opposite of the
bucket. Ranma's body seemed to relax into its larger, more defined
state. His hair darkened as if the light were simply falling into
it.
Megumi considered borrowing the Kinetics department's high
speed camera to capture the transformation.
Ranma shook his head and settled back onto the futon. "Nah.
I was worried the managers would think I was being too rough on
the martial arts equipment, but nobody's complained. I think I'm
startin' to get some of the other tenants interested in martial
arts, though."
Megumi did her best to stifle a giggle. The other tenants
were 'interested', all right. Ranma didn't really understand, but
the audience to his morning workout was composed mostly of girls
who got an illicit thrill out of watching the well built martial
artist exercise. She had even been invited once to the early
morning 'Beefcake Revue' by one of her friends in the building.
"You know your father complains every morning that you're
not getting a proper workout because you're not there to spar with
him."
*splash* Yes! Megumi would classify the transformation. She
would work the equations and clarify the situation until the
'curse' was no longer a work of magic, but a scientific
phenomenon.
Ranma nodded, "Thought so. Old man's just lonely for a
fight. That's all."
"What about you, Ranma? Don't you miss it, too?"
Ranma grimaced. "Not for a second."
Akane knew better. Ranma jumped if someone in the next room
said 'fight'. He was bored and lonely, and she knew it.
"Come on, Ranma. Who have you been sparring with every
morning, if not your father? When was the last time you practiced
the 'Mouko Takabisha'?"
Ranma's scowl intensified. "Can we talk about something
else?"
Akane nodded. This was another one of their unspoken rules.
An uncomfortable conversation quickly led to an insult or a
malleting.
"Umm," Megumi interrupted. "What's that?"
"What?" Ranma and Akane answered simultaneously.
"The... Moukyo Taka-thingy."
"Oh," Ranma grinned evilly at Akane. "That. It's a 'ki-
attack'. I focus my strength and confidence--"
"You mean 'ego'," Akane corrected. Ranma scowled, but held
his hands together in demonstration. A small, reddish-gold ball of
fire sprang to life between his palms.
More magic. Megumi 'Eeped' and did her best to keep the room
from spinning around her. As the ball of energy dissapated into
the air, Megumi felt the bottom of her stomach fall out.
"So, how's waitressing?" Akane asked.
* * *
It was rapidly approaching nine when Tofuu summoned up the
courage to walk up to the door. Confidently, he thought, he danced
up the doorway. These things were always so much easier when Betty
was there to help him along, but unfortunately, she was back at
the clinic on her hook.
Tofuu threw his head back, and pulled out the small black
ring box in preparation. He raised his hand to knock...
A sparrow darted across the walk to the house. Tofuu bolted
in terror.
* * *
With her knees pulled up to her chest on the seat, Akane
thought wistfully back to Ranma's room. After several minutes of
playing with Ranma's curse and muttering to herself about
'scientific explanations', Megumi stumbled back into her own room
as if she were in a drug induced trance. Akane felt rather sorry
for the girl to have her sensible foundations so horribly rocked.
All they could really do was try to lessen the shock for her.
Ranma went into the girl's room and asked her if she would
like to call him 'Ranko' when he was in his cursed form. Megumi
accepted, almost a little too quickly.
She had to admit that she was still a little jealous of
Megumi, being so close to Ranma all the time, but still, Akane
worried about the girl.
Once she left, however, she and Ranma...
It was their third serious kiss. Like the two previous
encounters, it was a good night kiss.
The first had been quick and nervous, at the train station
on her way home. The second was a little more lingering, but still
fairly shy on all accounts. The third...
The lights were low in the apartment. Ranma only ever had a
few lamps on at night to save on electricity. They sat together
and watched television for several minutes, but Akane stood up and
began to gather her books. Ranma watched her from his position on
the floor. Selfconciously, Akane turned so that she presented her
profile to him. Torn between feelings of embarrassment and
excitement, Akane arched her back slightly.
She heard a sharp intake of breath as she stretched out. Out
of the corner of her eye, she could see Ranma's eyes following the
curve of her leg and buttocks. They rested for an interminable
time on her breasts, which were small, in her opinion, but barely
concealed beneath the trim leotard. Finally, Ranma stared at her
face. Akane turned her neck slightly, trying to present a longer,
more attractive figure.
Only a few months ago, she would have pounded him for such a
perverted act, but now it was... important to her that he want
look at her body.
"I really like your hair, Akane." He stood, his torso turned
so that he could open the door for her.
Akane smiled, faintly, but warmly, and leaned in close to
the martial artist. "Thanks, Ranma. I'm glad you like it. I was so
afraid that it would turn out badly."
Ranma shook his head forcefully.
They stepped over to the door. Ranma looked expectantly into
her eyes as his trembling hand went for the knob.
Akane's hand covered his, almost of its own volition. She
leaned in even closer. Ranma's other hand went to her shoulder.
Akane almost moaned in expectation.
Ranma wrapped his impossibly strong arms around her, a
little more confidently this time, and their lips met. Akane
pulled her hands up to rest against his broad, muscular chest, and
returned the slight pressure back to him. She could feel him
pulling her ever tighter to his chest, feeling the contours of her
body embedded in his own. Ranma's hands began to roam down her
back, darting dangerously low, hovering right above her firm
derriere.
They were both so terrified of the new, urgent sensations,
but both needed them so badly. It was so hard to tell when to
stop, or how far to let it go...
Akane sighed and melted inside all over again as she thought
back on the brief interlude.
Not wanting to miss her stop for her reverie, Akane pulled
out a textbook, and tried to study. After several minutes, she
gave up and began to secretly study the other passengers on the
train.
Several of them were 'regulars'. She always seemed to get on
at the same time with them. There was the red haired cocktail
waitress who was always just a bit tipsy coming home from work,
and the single mother who always did her shopping late. Two
business men were always discussing the evening paper together,
and there was the tired old man, who always spent every day at the
park.
Oddly, there was a man in a trenchcoat who always sat at the
back of the train. He never exchanged the cursory greetings the
other passengers did. At first, she suspected one of Ranma's
suitors. He never moved very much, so Akane had a difficult time
reading him, but after careful observation, Akane suspected that
he lived with the cocktail waitress, or was infatuated with her,
because he always sat directly behind her if he could.
Besides, if one of *those* people actually managed to track
her as far as the train, she'd pick a stop at random and just
start walking.
Her real stop came around. Sighing her longing, she gathered
her books and made her way for the door.
* * *
Nine-thirty. Tofuu skulked around the bushes infront of the
Tendou house.
*Maybe it would just be better if I waited until she came to
the office.*
Resolutely, he shook his head. It must happen tonight, he
told himself.
* * *
It was about halfway home from the train station that Akane
realized that she was being followed. It didn't take much, as she
suspected her pursuers were quite intoxicated. They were making
too much noise, and were bouncing off each other quite rowdily.
She turned several corners, but they kept after her.
She walked on for about a block, hoping that she could get
close enough to home that a good sprint would carry her to safety.
Her pursuers, six of them, started walking double time,
doing their drunken best to act inconspicuous.
Running was not going to be an option, she thought. Akane
turned and stood her ground. The six men strode up to her, and
just stared at her with evil leers.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" she asked indignantly.
The leader, a tall young man with a tattoo on his neck, and
a lit cigarette in his hand, flicked ash on the ground and took a
long drag. As he exhaled, Akane could smell the sharp reek of
alcohol combined with tobacco.
"Yeah, you can help us, sweetie. Right guys?"
The assembled ruffians nodded and made low, guttural
affirmative noises.
"What do you want?" Akane assessed the men for weapons. The
leader appeared to be unarmed, but the guy next to him was toying
with a switchblade knife hanging halfway out of his hip pocket.
Aside from one other, who was hiding a butterfly knife behind his
leg, they appeared to be unarmed.
The leader sneered at her. "Why don't we go over in that
alley, and I'll show ya!"
Akane raised her eyebrows. "You've got to be kidding."
The man with the butterfly knife flipped it open and pointed
it at her stomach. "Just shut up and go in the alley, and we won't
hurt you."
*I'll take that one down first,* she thought. *Then use the
man in charge as a human shield. Shouldn't take more than twenty
seconds.* Akane smiled evilly. "Why don't you make me?"
The man rushed her. Akane tossed her bookbag aside and
prepared to disarm the attacker.
There was a flash from above, and the six men fell in half
as many seconds. The man in the trenchcoat stood behind them in a
fighting stance.
Akane's eyebrows slanted even further. She suddenly knew
*exactly* who the man was.
"What's the big deal, Ranma? I could have taken them easily.
Why did you have to stick your nose in my fight?"
"Hey! They had knives! And I'm not Ranma."
Akane pulled the trenchcoat away from the martial artist.
"So you've been following me home. Jeez, Ranma I can't believe
this!"
"Hey, I was only trying to look out for you!"
"I don't need any looking out for, Ranma. I've gotten home
just fine by myself every night for a solid month!"
One of the attackers groaned. Akane kicked his head. "Stay
down, moron. Just wait for the police, and I won't hurt you."
Ranma 'hmphed' and scowled at the girl.
Glaring at him, Akane ran to a nearby pay phone and dialed
the emergency number. As they sat waiting for the police, no words
passed between them. Akane just sat and simmered. She had trusted
him with so much, and now... this was the way he showed it?
When they arrived, the police were very thankful to have the
six men so neatly delivered, if a little shamefaced that they had
no involvement in their capture. After answering a few questions,
Akane and Ranma were sent on their way. They walked together for
quite some time.
Unfortunately 'together' had two different connotations for
Ranma and Akane.
"I can't believe you, Ranma! Following me like some sort of
stalker. You're no better than those men back there."
"I *ain't* stalking you, Akane."
"Fine, then what were you doing? Hmmm?"
"Err..."
Akane wrung her hands behind her back. "Don't you think I
can take care of myself? Is that it?"
"Akane I..."
"You think I'm going to get hurt walking home."
Ranma shrugged. "So, what if I do?"
"Do you have any idea how INSULTING that is?!"
"Hell, Akane! Everyone knows what... No. I ain't gonna say
it."
They walked on for a few minutes, turning a corner onto a
better lit street. There were more people here, going in and out
of shops and restaurants that were still open. Ranma looked around
in a kind of sad amusement. So many happy people completely
unaware of what had just happened.
Akane slowed and looked into a dress shop window. She
glanced at Ranma's reflection in the glass. "You might as well, if
you still think so. I'm a slow, weak girl, right?"
Ranma refused to answer. His surly expression betrayed his
feelings, however.
"You know, if we don't say anything," Akane suggested, "it's
not going to get any better. We haven't said *anything* for a
solid month."
"If I say anything, I'm gonna get malleted. Hell, I'll
probably gonna get malleted for *that*." He stared at her
accusingly.
Akane turned away from the window and glared back, the rage
building behind her eyes. "I promised that I wouldn't hit you
anymore," she hissed. "Isn't that good enough?"
"Yeah... you promised." Ranma's eyes narrowed to slits.
"Just like you promised Kasumi that you wouldn't ever hit anybody
in anger."
The rage and anger left Akane's face, and was replaced by
shock and shame at the promise she had so casually broken so long
ago. She tried to tell her self it was meaningless, but a
terrified doubt began to gnaw at her.
"Didn't think I knew about that one, did ya?" Ranma pushed
his hands down in his pockets, and resumed walking along the
sidewalk. Akane strode next to him, her fists clenching in shock
and a little bit of anger. It was growing much more crowded as
they approached a large night club.
After a few seconds, Ranma turned back to her, guilt and
self-loathing evident in his expression. "I shouldn't 'a said
that, Akane."
Akane answered quietly. "So you don't trust me?"
As Ranma shook his head, Akane's heart broke. She continued
to walk along behind him, but the world seemed to blur around her.
Ranma shrugged, but closed his steps so that he was a little
closer to her.
They passed the entrance to the club. It was approaching ten
and getting rather misty, but there was still a long line of
impatient people awaiting entrance to the club. They were all
anxious, guarding their places in line, but the majority of them
were speaking animatedly. The people were all dressed in an
attractive manner. Most were dressed in their finest party
clothes. They seemed to be having fun, even waiting in line.
As they passed the end of the line, Ranma glanced briefly at
the waiting length. He kept walking in disgust.
Akane began to feel a familiar fear rise in her heart. It
was familiar as the same sensation she felt whenever Ranma acted
like he was happy with one of the other girls, and when Ranma
moved out of the Tendou home a month earlier. She was going to
lose him...
"Ranma!" she shouted. He was a little shocked to hear her
speak so passionately. "I've trusted *you* with so much. Why can't
you do the same? Please, tell me what I have to do to make you
trust me!"
Ranma was shocked at the words, and Akane's expression. A
wealth of tears stood unshed in her eyes.
"You... trust *me*?!?!"
"How can I not, Ranma?" A tear rolled down her face, and her
tone became pleading, almost desperate. "You've saved my life
dozens of times. You always come when I'm in trouble. If anybody
tries to hurt me, you stand up for me. When you moved out, I had
to trust you to stay away from the other girls. I even had to
learn to trust you around Megumi! If you weren't there for me..."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know how I could go on."
Ranma was stopped in his tracks. "Akane?" His expression had
changed to mirror Akane's earlier shock. "I..." He stood
resolutely and put his fist to his chest. "I barely trust *myself*
to take care of you, Akane! How can I trust anyone else, even
you?"
Akane nodded sadly. She had done so little besides berate
her fiancee. But... he *wanted* to take care of her. Her heart
began to ache, and her throat tightened with the thought.
"Sides', I don't think 'trust' is just somethin' you can
turn on and off like a light. You gotta *earn* it."
Akane nodded anxiously. "How? Please, what do I have to do?"
Ranma's eyes widened. "Urr..."
"Please, Ranma. I..."
He held up his hand. "It's been a month since you hit me.
That's a good *start*. I'm still duckin' and coverin' everytime I
hear myself say somethin' stupid."
Akane's breath caught in her throat. "I... I'm sorry,
Ranma."
"I'm sorry too, Akane. I ain't been the most sensitive guy,
either. I usually call 'em like I see 'em, and sometimes that
isn't the right thing, or even the true thing to say. I've been
trying to stop, but sometimes..."
As long as she had known him, this was the first time Ranma
had ever gone so far as to apologize to her. Her eyes misted over,
and tears began to run freely down her face.
Her heart burst with the words. 'I'm sorry too, Akane.' She
burned up and froze at the same time. The warm flow of tears
started to run down into her leotard, as the world ground to a
complete stop.
Ranma stepped in a little closer and tried to look into her
face. Cautiously, he put a hand to her cheek. "Akane? You okay?"
He was so close to her. It was all she needed to hear.
Regardless of anything else, Ranma still cared about her. The
words came to her mouth, unbidden.
"I love you, Ranma."
He froze as if she had just uttered some incredible attack
phrase.
Her arms reached out of their own volition and wrapped
around his shoulders and head. Fiercely, as if she had to trap him
to the earth, Akane pressed her lips to his.
She covered his face in kisses and buried her wet face in
his shoulder. Muffled by the coarse fabric, she cried out loud.
"I love you, you mean, insensitive, sex-changing jerk, and
I'll never give you up. Not to Shampoo, not to Ukyou, not to
Kodachi, or anyone else!"
"Akane....." Hesitantly, Ranma's arms closed around her
back. "I... I... don't know.... I loo..."
She looked up into his face, which was twisted into at once
an expression of the purest ecstasy, and the sheerest terror. It
looked as if he were fighting with himself on some existential
plane.
"I... loooooo...."
With the tears still rolling freely down her face, Akane put
a finger to his lips. "You don't have to say it if you don't want
to. Don't say it if you don't feel it, either."
His expression was stricken, but resolute. "Of course I mean
it! I've meant it since... Hell, I don't know! It seems as long as
I've known you!"
"Ranma..." Akane rested her head on his shoulder. She could
hear his heart racing. She realized that at some point that they
had collapsed to their knees on the sidewalk.
"I *love* you, Akane! You're the only thing that's kept me
goin' for the last three years. With the curse, and the fiancees,
and the old ghoul, and all the challenges, and the letch..."
She silenced him with another kiss. A long, wet, passionate
kiss that messed up his hair as much as his face.
"What're we gonna do, Akane?" he asked. "We still hurt each
other so much. When we talk, we get angry, and when we don't
nothin' happens."
She shook her head against his shoulder. "I don't know,
Ranma. Whatever... we have to learn to... trust, and we have to do
it together."
Weeping into each other's arms, neither Ranma nor Akane
noticed the crowd of party goers and club employees they had drawn
applauding all around them.
* * *
It was late, *too* late, Megumi thought. The world, which
had previously been defined in terms of formulae, equations,
statistical analysis, had just given way to fairy tale.
She lay in her bed, looking up at the fluorescent fixture in
the middle of the ceiling. Her eyes absently traced the end of the
cord that hung from the light as it danced in the breeze from her
airconditioner. In the speckles she got from staring at the too-
bright bulb, Megumi could still see the ball of what could only be
described as Ranma's life force floating in front of her face.
*Ranma... Ranko... How can s-he live like that?*
She flipped over and buried her face in her pillow. She
stayed like that for some time, images of Ranma changing back and
forth assailing her inner vision.
There were so many things to think about. How much of what
she knew was void now? Curses implied a spellcaster of some
sort... or worse, a supernatural entity. Demons?
The existence of which would imply Gods and Goddesses.
The existence of which would imply Gods and Goddesses. Megumi
snorted and shook her head at her speculations. Magic was one
thing, but this was something else entirely. Everyone knew
Goddesses didn't exist.
She really didn't realize when she started to shiver. Rain
began to tap against her window as a cold front blew through, and
the airconditioner was suddenly just too much for the tiny room.
Megumi sighed and grabbed a vinyl raincoat from her closet.
It would do her little good to sit in her room slowly going crazy.
She had to get out and think things through.
*Then* she could go crazy if she wanted.
She hurried out of the building and out into the night. She
really didn't mind the rain, but Megumi looked for a coffee shop
to get into anyway.
As she walked, she couldn't help but stare at the people
around her... wondering. Supposedly at least one of the fiancees
and several of Ranma's enemies were cursed as well. Megumi
couldn't help but wonder who else's life had been touched by
magic.
After a few minutes, she located the 'Unforgettable Medlies'
cafe. She went in and took a seat at the bar, and ordered a
coffee.
Megumi found that it was all she could do to keep from
nervously fidgeting all over the counter.
Suddenly, a petite figure flopped down next to her. She
jumped as she realized who it was.
"Ya learn to hate the rain. Of course, I have it better than
some of the others."
"T-t-the girl who turns into a cat..." Megumi suggested. She
couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth.
The redhead plopped her head down on her hands. "Yeah, and
then there's my *other* problem with... c-cats." She shook
nervously a bit, and then stretched to try and warm her cold
muscles.
"You went home with Akane, ...Ranko?" Megumi asked. She
still felt fairly nervous speaking to the girl as if she really
was her suitemate. It rankled a little inside her somewhere
though. She tried to decide if she wanted to discard 'Ranko' and
just stick to 'Ranma'. "Did she get home okay?"
Ranma smiled viciously and motioned to the waiter. "We had a
fight."
Of course Megumi had never seen the pair fight, but both had
spoken to her privately about their differences. The look of shock
on her face must have been amusing, she thought.
"Actually, I think I kinda missed it," Ranma continued,
wistfully. "I don't miss the mallet though. I can't believe we
actually had a fight that *went* somewhere."
Suddenly, Megumi felt her curiosity for gossip beat down her
nervousness, and she leaned in close to the redhead. "Ooh! What
happened?"
Ranma told her the details of the fight. Megumi seemed a
little shocked about Akane being attacked, but Ranma waved her
off.
"It happens all the time anyway. I just can't let her risk
herself on somethin' like that. I... I care too much about her."
Megumi nodded, "Go on..."
"Well anyway, after we made up, we tried to think of things
to do that would make us trust each other more. Akane agreed to
let me defend her when I wanted, and I agreed not to try and act
like I wasn't doing it. Then came the good part!"
"Before or after it started raining?"
"After."
Megumi had to stifle a giggle. Kisses in the rain were so
romant... Uh-oh. *She* didn't! She couldn't have! As a girl? With
horror, Megumi watched Ranma's face crack into a gleeful grin that
could only be the result of something so private being shared.
"You didn't!" she hissed.
Ranma nodded gleefully. "Yeah, I did. And we're going to
start tomorrow!"
Megumi gasped in shock. "You're can't be serious!"
"Yeah! We start sparring tomorrow morning when I usually
work out."
Megumi blushed. Of course, fighting would be just as
important and personal to a life long martial artist as any
romance.
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Ranma continued. "I mean, here
I am with nobody to fight with, constantly having to watch out for
Akane. If I can train her up to my level, I'll be able to trust
her that much more to take care of herself. She'll be more ready
to take on one of the other girls, too, if they find out where
she's going every day."
Megumi could only nod, not trusting her self to speak. The
girl before her was Ranma, all right. Girl or boy, no one else
could be so focused. As she and Ranma sat and talked away the
night, Megumi found herself wondering how much to embrace the
magic that suddenly surrounded her.
For the first time since she was a very young girl, the
evening seemed somehow... *magical*.
* * *
Akane strode up to the house. While she was grinning madly,
almost skipping down the walk, she could still feel the redness in
her eyes from the crying earlier. She hoped that the rain would
hide it.
As she came up to the door, she noticed a dark figure in the
bushes. She jumped back and crouched in a defensive stance.
"All right, come out of there before I call the police."
"A-Akane-chan! How surprising to see you here of... all..
places..."
"Tofuu-Sensei? What are you doing back there?"
Nervously, the doctor stepped out onto the walk. In the dim
light cast by the door lamp, Akane could see that the doctor was
soaked to the bone and had twigs and worse all through his hair.
His glasses were horribly fogged, even as wet as it was.
"Ummmmm.... Well, I was coming to see your sister of course,
Akane. Isn't it a wonderful night for a visit?"
Akane knew it was useless to disagree with him when he was
like this, and besides, she had had a fairly spectacular visit of
her own. Subconsciously, her hand went to her lips.
"Of course, Betty-chan isn't here, and what's an evening
without Betty. She said it was the rain. You know how old bones
ache in wet weather." The doctor began nervously scraping his fist
against the wall, chipping off a little paint in the process.
"Why don't you come in before you freeze, Doctor?"
Tofuu gulped as Akane opened the door. It was still too
early for him! He wasn't ready! This was all happening too soon,
but Akane took his hand and led him in the door."
"Tadaima!" she called out as she closed the door behind
them. Tofuu began to shake in apprehension.
"Poor thing, you must be frozen solid!" Akane led him into
the main room, where her father and Genma were watching an old
samurai movie. "We'll just have Kasumi make you up some warm tea.
Won't that be good?"
Nabiki looked up at her sister with a little bit of
exasperation. Trust Akane to pick a night like this to go out on.
"K-k-k-k-kasumi?!?!" Tofu chattered. He held up his fist,
clenching the small black box and crumpled note.
"Yes, is somebody here?" The older girl called out from up
the stairs. "I'll be down in just a minute!"
Akane turned to the doctor, and noticed the box. "Tofuu-
Sensei! You brought a present for Kasumi. How nice!"
*Present... yes...* thought Tofuu. The world seemed to be
slowing down around him.
"Who's here, Akane?" Kasumi turned the corner from the
stairwell and stepped into the main room.
Time stopped for Tofuu.
Never before had he seen such a sight. Kasumi... in a
bikini. The world went dark. Tofuu could die happy, now.
"What a lovely swimsuit, Onee-chan! Is that the one...
Doctor Tofuu?"
The doctor fell to the ground without bending his knees.
Only his fist betrayed any life, still clutching at the velvet box
and note.
"Oh, Tofuu, you silly dear," Kasumi pried the note and
started to read.
"To my dearest Kasumi, I..." Her eyes went wide and a tear
rolled down her cheek. "L-love you..." She whispered.
Akane suddenly realized what the little black box was. In
shock, she took it from the doctor's rigid fingers and handed it
to her sister.
Trembling, Kasumi continued to read the note. Nabiki ran
over and looked over her shoulder.
Soun walked over to the young doctor. "Tofuu, what brings
you over at this time of night?"
"Shh, Daddy!" Nabiki cautioned. "Tofuu just proposed to
Kasumi!!!"
"Growf???" The giant panda shuffled over to the small,
incredulous group and snuffled at the unconscious doctor.
"Well, I'll be..." Soun knelt and patted Tofuu on his limp
shoulder. "That's the way to go, Son. Show some initiative. If
only... Ah, well. The past is the past. Your mother would be
proud, Kasumi."
The girl didn't answer as she started to cry. She clutched
the note to her breast and buried her face in Tofuu's soaked gi.
Trembling, she turned her face slightly and pulled the box open.
Nabiki was the first to gasp. In her case it was the
opulence of the ring. Such a treasure should be on *her* finger,
too! Akane, primed from her fight and reconciliation with Ranma,
knelt and cried along with her sister. Heartened as Kasumi shakily
slid the ring over the tip of her finger, Soun patted his furry
friend on the back.
"Growf!"
"You said it, Saotome-kun." He patted the unconscious
doctor again. "Good job, Son. Welcome to the family."
* * *
After she managed to cry herself out and Tofuu regained a
jittering consciousness, Akane ran for her room. She simply *had*
to phone Ranma and tell him what happened. Even when she received
no answer at his phone number, she didn't become upset.
She *trusted* him. It felt good to say. He was probably with
Megumi, trying to help her with her upset. More importantly, she
knew, She and Ranma had taken a big step towards building
something *more* than trust.
She thought about her sister and Tofuu, and how much the two
of them would have to learn to live together.
Right then, she vowed, *If Kasumi can do it, then so can I.
I'll make Ranma mine!*
* * *
Thus ends 'Curses', Ranma's Apartment 2.
Author's notes.
First, a big thanks goes to my prereaders, Dave and Bob. A lot of the
humor and depth in this story belongs to them, and I appreciate them
for it. Thanks, too, to all the people who comment on my work.
Second, I would like to thank Amy, without whom, I would have descended
into insanity a long time ago.
It's important to me that these two stories stand on their own without
being a 'series'. I'm having a lot of problems right now with 'The Ballad
of Ranma and Akane' because I can't get one plot to flow into the next.
If there is another 'Ranma's Apartment' it will likely be at quite a
variance from this one. (And may well be the crossover everybody's asking
for. THAT'S RIGHT, BOB!!! GODDESSES!!!!!)
If you liked this story, or if even you hated it, tell me why:
C&C to hamster@arn.net
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Chris Jones hamster@arn.net
The Hamster House of Animation http://users.arn.net/~hamster
The Ranma 1/2 Gallery http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/6413
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I'm the fat and ugly Sailor Panda. I fight for beer and pretzels, and
because I'm afraid of my wife, I'll annoy you!