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  Ranma 1/2     "The Nature of the Curse"
 Hard Battle    Story by Douglas MacDougall <dougmacd@thecia.net>
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    Ranma 1/2 (c) Rumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan * Kitty Film * Fuji TV.
    Exclusively licensed throughout the United States and Canada by Viz
    Communications, Inc.  This fan fiction is for private home use only;
    it may be freely redistributed, but not altered or used for profit.

    Not Rated.  Parental Guidance Suggested.

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   Part  3      Ranma's Dilemma.  Goodbye, Boy-Type!
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    "stupid... old.. goat..."

    Ranma dragged herself back to the Tendo dojo.  The old freak had chased
her halfway around Tokyo, beating the crap out of her.  He hadn't even been
fazed be her half-hearted attempts to flash some cleavage and distract him.

    "not.. my fault... akane got cursed..."

    She had finally managed to get him with a Hiryu Shoten Ha.  The old man's
battle aura was so hot that the resultant whirlwind had blasted him (along
with the rest of the loose garbage in a four block area) out of the district.

    Ranma hobbled into the house.  "kasumi?"  No one was in living room.  As
she wandered into the kitchen, she heard noises coming from the dojo.
Weighing the desire to pass out against her curiosity, Ranma decided to check
what was up.

    "Nice try, Akane, but too slow!"

    "You're still no match for your father, son"

    "I'm your DAUGHTER!!"

    It sounded like Akane was fighting Mr. Tendo and Ranma's old man.  And
was still a guy.  Geez, it had been hours.  Hadn't they gotten any hot water
yet?

    Soun came flying out the side door of the dojo and rolled backwards down
the steps onto the covered walkway.  He came to a halt just in front of Ranma.

    "Ah, it feels just like I have a new student."  He kicked up and jogged
back into the dojo.  "Remember the days, Genma?"

    Ranma blinked.  Mr. Tendo was fighting?  He never did that.  Ranma just
barely had enough strength left in his knees to make it up the few steps to
the dojo.  Inside was a scene of carnage.  Akane was fighting both fathers at
the same time, angry as hell.  Genma was bouncing around with his usual midair
stunts, while Soun was circling her.  The two actually seemed to be making a
good combination.

    "Oh, Ranma!  Come over here."  Kasumi waved at him from the side of the
dojo.  Nabiki was next to her, snacking on popcorn and filming with a
handi-cam.

    Ranma plopped down next to the sisters, walking stick clattering to the
floor.  "what's... going on?"

    "Father and Mr. Saotome are practicing with Akane.  They want to test out
her boy-type body."

    Nabiki chimed in while still recording, "She's got a lot of added upper
body strength, now."

    Just what Ranma needed.  An even stronger Akane.  The gi hid her -- or
rather his -- upper arm muscles, but the front had come open with hours of
activity, showing off well-defined pectoral muscles.

    "Quite a chest, eh?"

    Ranma started at Nabiki's words and turned away.  "It wasn't like that!
I was just..."  She realized that Nabiki was now filming her.

    "My, what a ladylike blush, Ranma."  Ranma couldn't see Nabiki's eyes,
since one was behind the camera, and the other was closed, but she could make
out the wide grin on her face.

    "I ain't blushin'!"

    A loud crack came from the center of the dojo, and Kasumi started
clapping.  "Congratulations, Akane!"

    "Should have realized... the only thing hard enough to knock them out...
is their own heads..."

    Trying to ignore Nabiki, Ranma asked, "Geez, Akane, have you been
fighting those two all day?"

    Akane glared at the redhead, who was sporting some of her own scrapes
and bruises.  Her hair was in complete disarray, with brambles, twigs, and
some black substance stuck in it.  Also, the front of her shirt had become
unfastened, and her sleeve was torn.

    "So what?  By the looks of it, you've been fighting Happosai all day."

    "It's not like I wanted to."

    "And you think I wanted to fight them?"  He thumbed towards two
unconscious bodies in the dojo.  Even asleep and with large bumps on their
heads, they were grinning like idiots.

    Ranma didn't care to continue the conversation.  "I just want a hot bath
and to go to bed."

    Kasumi apologized, "I'm afraid there still isn't any hot water."

    Akane and Ranma muttered, "I hate this curse."  Blinking, they looked at
each other.

    Nabiki popped back another kernel of popcorn.  "Neat.  Stereo!"

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    "Dinner's almost here," called out Kasumi.

    Akane walked out of the bathroom hall and into the kitchen.  After a
quick wash of soap and cold water, he had gotten the sweat and grime off his
(HER!) body, and had put on one of his father's robes.

    "Are you okay, Akane?  You were in the bath a long time."  Kasumi looked
at her younger sibling with concern.

    He blushed at the remark and looked at the ground.  "Yeah, everything's
fine."  In truth, he had a bit of trouble with certain new parts of his
anatomy.  Girls weren't supposed to think about such things, but he really
didn't have a choice.  It was there between his legs...

    "Is Akane out YET?"

    Akane glanced outside, and saw an irritable Ranma sitting on the porch.
She was tending a small fire in the back, over which she was heating a
kettle.  "Is that hot water?"

    "Of course it's hot water.  You think I want to stay like this?"

    "It wouldn't be the first time."  Akane started to pick up the kettle,
but Ranma shooed him away.

    "Geez, Akane.  I just got the fire started.  It hasn't had time to heat
up at all..."  Akane was always taller then Ranma's girl body, but he felt a
little awkward as he realized that he now towered over the smaller girl.
Ranma had to crane her head up to talk to her.  Suddenly she looked down at
the ground.

    "Well at least you're finally out of the bath!" she said more loudly then
necessary, and quickly walked into the house.

    "Remember, dinner will be here in just a few minutes, Ranma."

    She walked by Kasumi waved her hand dismissively.  "I'll just be a few
seconds.  I'll just be washing off, unlike OTHER people..."  She disappeared
behind the corner and the bathroom door slid open and shut.

    "What did THAT mean?" complained Akane.  Was Ranma calling HIM a pervert?

    "Nihao!"

    Akane sidestepped the descending bicycle and the Amazon piloting it.
Shampoo landed right next to where he had been standing, and skidded to a
halt.  The rear of her bike spun around and knocked over the kettle,
scattering the coals, but not quite putting out the flames.

    "The hot water!"

    Shampoo blinked.  "You not Airen."

    "Duh."  Akane rolled his eyes.

    "Oh, has the ramen arrived?"  Kasumi greeted Shampoo.  Let me help you
take that inside.  A little confused at the appearance of the new boy,
Shampoo allowed herself to be led inside.  Akane filled the kettle with water
scooped out of the koi pond, and set it over the fire again.

    "Nabiki, can you please wake Father and Mr. Saotome?"

    "Sure thing, sis."  The middle sister walked out to the dojo.

    Ranma walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but boxers and a towel
draped over her shoulders.  She dried her hair with another towel.  "Stupid
tar..."  Seeing the bowls laid out around table, she grinned.  "Alright,
takeout!"

    "You don't have to sound so happy about it."  Akane was not terribly
pleased about Kasumi's choice for takeout.

    Ranma glared at Akane.  "What's your problem?"

    "I think that should be OBVIOUS, Ranma!"  He put his arms on his hips.

    "Ah, you'll get used to it..."

    "I don't WANT to!"

    Ranma put on a grin almost as mischievous as one of Nabiki's.  "...Just
remember I'M the man in this relationship!"

    "WHAT?!"

    "Aiya!!!"

    Ranma blinked and turned to the purple-haired girl.  "Oh, hi, Shampoo."

    "Ranma is OK?"  She felt Ranma's forehead and glared menacingly at
Akane.

    "Yeah, sure."  She pushed Shampoo's hand off.  "What's the big deal?"

    "Ranma belong Shampoo!"  She interposed herself between Akane and Ranma.

    "ExCUSE me, but he's MY fiance!"

    "Airen is not like that!  Only like girls!"  She rubbed against Ranma to
make her point.

    Ranma wasn't too happy about it.  "Hey!"

    "I AM a girl!" countered Akane.  Unfortunately, his rich, baritone voice
did not help make his point.

    "Shampoo not think so."  While still clinging to Ranma, she raised up her
leg and patted the region between Akane's legs with a slippered foot.  Akane
stumbled back and started blushing wildly. "You is definitely man.  No can
hide!"

    "You PERVERT!"  He grabbed her shinai and swung at Shampoo, who was all-
too-ready to defend.

    Ranma clapped her hands around the shinai and stopped his swing.  "Geez,
Akane, calm down.  At least wait until after dinner."

    Shampoo blinked.  Behind her, Nabiki led the fathers of the household
to the table, where they eagerly pulled their wodden chopsticks apart and
started to dig in.

    "You... You is Akane?"

    "Of course I'm Akane.  Who did you think I was?!"

    "You really IS Tom-boy, now."  The words were insulting, but she sounded
a little worried.

    Akane picked up the bills from the table and handed them to Shampoo.
He gently but firmly escorted her back to her bike.  "Thanks for the food,
Shampoo, but we're eating now.  Have a nice trip back to the Cafe."

    Glancing about worriedly at the diners, Shampoo chirped, "Can have meal
free if Shampoo stay!"

    "Alright!" cheered Nabiki.

    Shampoo grinned and shoved the bills back to Akane, who glared.  The
Amazon skipped in and landed next to Ranma.  "You change back to boy now for
Shampoo, yes?"

    Ranma barely took notice of her close proximity and just slurped the
noodles down her throat.  Barely pausing to take a breath, she said, "No hot
water."

    Akane growled and sat next to the purple-haired hussy.

    Shampoo clapped her hands and smiled.  "Is no problem!"  She grabbed
Ranma's bowl out of his hands and dumped the remaining contents on her head.
The soupy water changed him back to a guy, garnished with noodles.

    "Could you at least have waited for me to finish!?" he barked.

    "Dinner over.  Now time for movie!  You take Shampoo to date, yes?"

    "Wha?"

    Akane tried her best to contain her anger, but was failing pretty badly.
This tramp had helped ruined the wedding (not to mention their house) just
the previous night with her exploding nikuman, and now she was putting the
moves on his fiancee like nothing happened.  "Ranma is helping me study for a
test, tonight."

    Ranma looked at Akane and gulped.  "Uh, yeah.  Akane just has to change
back to her old self."

    "Too bad I have to wait for the water that some careless person knocked
over to heat up again!"  He stared at Shampoo.

    "Shampoo be happy change you back to girl."  She snatched Genma's bowl
(which had amazingly not been finished), and started to pour it over Akane.

    Akane reacted quickly, grabbing Shampoo's wrist in a lock to prevent it
from turning.  "I don't want noodle juice all over me!"

    "Shampoo think it for best." She nodded solemnly.

    "You little..."

    "You big..."

    Ranma decided to get up.  "Uh, Akane's right."  He glanced at Akane and
quickly looked away.  "I gotta wash this stuff off me before it gets sticky."
She quickly walked back to the bathroom and splashing could be heard.

    Shampoo and Akane alternated between staring at each other and the
hallway to the bathroom.  The rest of the family quickly finished their food
before their guest had another opportunity to pour it on someone else's head.

    After a minute, Ranma came back out, female as ever, and drying her hair
again.  "Stupid noodles."

    "Why you come back girl?"

    Akane stood up, "accidentally" pushing over Shampoo.  "Like I said,
there's no hot water."

    "You come to Cat Cafe and Shampoo give you all hot water you need!"

    Akane didn't trust Shampoo at all.  "I'll wait for my own water to heat,
thank you very much."

    "Ranma?" asked Shampoo hopefully.

    "I, uh..."  She glanced at Akane.  "I better stay here.  You know, so we
can study.  I'll just heat some water on the fire, outside."

    Akane was a little surprised at Ranma's remark, but smiled triumphantly
at Shampoo.  The Amazon was looking back and forth between the two with anger
and dismay.  Eventually she stood up and pulled Akane aside.

    "Hey!"

    "You come Shampoo."

    "Fine.  Talk in the dojo."

    Shampoo cooed to Ranma, "Airen stay here.  We back in jiffy!"

    Ranma frowned, and watched the two walk off.  She turned around and walked
in the other direction to check on her fire.

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    Shampoo all but shoved Akane into the dojo.  "What you do Airen?!?"

    "Excuse me?"

    "Why he act strange?  He look at you funny and no stay boy!"

    "Why are you asking me?"

    "You try turning Ranma into pervert like you!"

    "ExCUSE me?!?"

    "Shampoo can tell.  You not enough girl for Ranma so you try turn HIM
into girl!  You use strange boy-type wiles on Airen's girl-type body!"  She
wiggled her fingers suggestively at Akane.

    "WHAT!?!"

    "Shampoo stop you!"

    "That's disgusting!!!"

    "You no can lie!  Shampoo see it in Airen's eyes.  He confused.  He..."
Shampoo's eyes grew large, as if realizing a horrible truth.  "You want him
become your wife!!"

    "!!!"  Akane was too outraged to form words, although her jaw went
through the motions.

    "You realise you not strong enough be good wife for Airen, so you want
AIREN be wife!  Then you can be lazy good-for-nothing man husband!"

    Akane was about to correct Shampoo's backwards Amazonian ideas about men
and women (in a suitably loud voice), when he was interrupted by girl speaking
in a tiny voice.

    "what?"

    Akane and Shampoo turned around to see Ranma blushing like a maniac.  Her
face was the same primary red as her hair.  "I... uh... brought the hot
water...?"

    Shampoo grabbed it.  "You change back now, before pervert girl get
strange ideas!"  She up-ended the dented kettle Ranma had brought from the
back yard onto her head.

    "My hot water!" yelled Akane.

    "You no want be girl, right Ranma?"

    "N- No way!"

    "Now you boy; you no need wash off with cold water, yes?"

    "Uh, yeah, I guess..."

    "You promise stay boy tonight, then Shampoo feel safe leaving you with
pervert boy."

    "Pervert GIRL," shouted Akane. "...Hey!!!"

    "Yeah, sure, Shampoo.  I'm fine.  I promise not to get wet, okay?"

    Shampoo glanced warily at Akane.  "Is okay.  Shampoo return to Cat Cafe.
You have problems with Akane, you call, okay?"

    "Uh, okay..."

    Shampoo paused to glare at Akane before waving at Ranma and hopping
through the house to retrieve her bike and get back to her orders.

    Ranma and Akane stood in the silence, looking at the floor rather then
each other.  Akane was the first to speak up.  "What... What did you hear?"

    Ranma looked up at him and looked at the ground again.  "I'll... I'll
go heat up some more hot water for you, okay?"  He turned around and followed
the Shampoo's path into the house.

    Akane blinked for a moment, worried about his fiance.  "...You want AIREN
be wife!"  The words echoed in his head, along with similar ones he had heard
earlier in the afternoon. "Now you and Ranma make the perfect couple!"

    It wasn't his fault he was splashed with Spring of Drowned Man, right?
And he hadn't asked to fight his Dad and Mr. Saotome all afternoon.  He
ran his toes along a board on the floor.  Maybe he could have tried a little
harder to find some hot water and change back.

    Stupid curse.  Yawning, he walked back into the house and went up to his
room.  Maybe he could start his homework while he waited for the water to
boil.

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    Akane knocked on Ranma's door, but there was no answer.  Peeking in, she
saw that he had passed out sitting at his desk.  Obviously the fight with the
master had taken a lot out of him.  She sat down on Ranma's bed and looked at
her fiance.

    Something seemed vaguely wrong about a desk and bed in Ranma's room, but
she immediately dismissed the stray thought.

    She had closed the door behind her, so she felt safe that no one would see
her.  Tilting her head, she looked at the man slumped over the desk.  His arms
were folded, and he laid his head in them like a pillow.  A little drool came
out of the corner of his mouth.

    Alone, Akane could be honest with herself.  At least a little bit.  She
liked what she saw.  Ranma was a jerk, but he could show sensitivity, after a
fashion.  She smiled, thinking of her knight in Chinese silks.  He always came
to her rescue, and she had to admit she liked being held by him.  There was a
comfort and warmth, a sense of being protected by those well-honed muscles.

    Her fiance stirred, and she made her face blank.  She didn't want him
getting any ideas.  "Finally awake, sleepy head?"

    He rubbed his eyes and yawned noisily.  With his arms stretched over his
head, Akane silently admired his build.  The gi hid most of the flexing
muscles in his back and shoulders, but she could tell they were there.

    "What'dya want, tomboy?"  The boy turned around and stared at her.

    It wasn't Ranma.  "I'm not a--"

    "--tomboy?"  Akane blinked.  For a second he was confused, but he figured
it was because he had just woken up from studying.  He glanced down at the
papers on his desk, and wiped some drool from the corner of his mouth.  This
all seemed awfully familiar.

    The person hadn't responded, so he pushed his the chair around and asked
again.

    "What'dya want?"

    Ranma was sitting nervously on Akane's bed, and a bucket of water was on
the floor.  He twiddled his fingers in his lap.  "Uh, I've been thinking,
Akane..."

    He blinked, trying to remember something, but it didn't come to him.
Instead, he just answered, "Yeah?"

    "Well, your boy-type body is just so much better then mine.  You're
taller, and more broad-shouldered.  And all the workouts you did as a girl
make your muscles look really defined in your boy form."

    "Yeah?"

    "And... You're really a nice person.  I mean, except for me, you're nice
to everybody.  Even people you should hate.  You have a really open heart."

    Akane just listened, trying to shake a sense of unease.

    "You're... You're much more of a gentleman then I could ever be.  I'm
just an insensitive jerk."

    "Gentleman...?"  For some reason that sounded wrong.

    "And.. And..."

    "What?"

    "Well, I was thinking.  My girl-type body looks better then your normal
body.  And... And I'm a better cook then you.  And I know all sorts of girl
things.  I learned tea ceremony from that martial artist, and I got that
training to be a "lady" because of that corset thingie..."

    Akane remembered.  Ranma couldn't change back to a guy because it would
crush the non-wasp-like waist of his boy form.  He had to act like a "lady" to
get the key to unlock and remove it.

    "Well.  I was thinking, maybe I should be the girl?"  And with that, he
dumped the bucket of water on his head.

    The niggling sense on unease had become voices screaming in Akane's head
that something was horribly wrong.  Outwardly, however, he smiled, like he
wasn't really in control of his body.  He was also realizing just how good
Ranma looked... wet.

    Girl-type Ranma continued enthusiastically, "It would get rid of all the
fiancee problems at the same time!  Well, except Kuno.  And maybe Ukyo swings
that way.  But together, we can take care of them!"

    Akane was still smiling, but it didn't reach his eyes.  His eyes were
reflecting the fear and confusion inside his head.

    "And you won't have to give the dojo to me and my dad as dowry.  As a
guy, you can keep it the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts instead
of renaming it the Saotome School."  Suddenly Ranma looked very meek.  "Heck,
you can keep the dojo.  You wouldn't even have to marry me..."

    Akane got up and sat next to Ranma, comforting her.  He always knew she
was insecure.  Having to keep up the "man among men" charade.  Now she would
be free of it, and all the other pressures on her.  Everything would be
better now.

    "Of course I'll marry you, Ranma.  Let me show you how much I love you."
And with that, he leaned forward and kissed Ranma deeply.

    "I said, wake up, stupid!"

    Akane blinked.

    "Stupid tomboy."

    Akane tried to focus his eyes, but she realized that they were inches from
his desk.  For some reason her mouth was half-open and her teeth were
painfully pressed into the pages of a textbook.  He lifted he head, leaving a
trail of drool behind.  Shaking his head, he remembered where he was.

    "Fell asleep studying," he murmured to himself.  Noting the pitch of his
voice, he realized he was still a guy.  What a... WEIRD dream.  He turned
around and saw Ranma sitting on her bed with a kettle of water next to him.
This was disturbingly familiar.

    He shook off the sense of deja vu and took some deep breaths.  This
wasn't part of the dream this time; he was awake.  As Akane cast his thoughts
back, he remembered that he had started studying, waiting for the water to
heat up.

    "You must have been pretty tired after that workout," said Ranma.

    "Uh, yeah."  He continued to blink the sleep out of his eyes, and wiped
the drool off the corner of his mouth.  Ranma started staring at the floor
intently.

    "Uh, the water's ready."

    For that, at least, Akane was thankful.  "Great," he chirped, and got
up.  He picked up the kettle and grabbed some of his normal, feminine clothes.
He didn't want to wear his father's robe any longer then necessary.

    "Be back in a second.  Don't forget your notes."  He left Ranma in his
room, and walked down to the bathroom to change.  He tried to forget his dream
and had pleasant thoughts about being back in his normal body.  The whole
thing made him uncomfortable.

    He shifted his stride as he walked down the stairs due to an
uncomfortable pressure in his pants...

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    Kasumi nearly dropped the glass she was cleaning when she heard the male
scream from the bathroom.  It wasn't her father, Mr. Saotome, or Ranma.
Thinking about it, she realized it must be Akane's boy-type voice.  She
quickly walked down the hallway to see if he was alright.

    She nearly fainted when Ranma came streaking by her.  The pig-tailed girl
had literally jumped off the opposite wall to redirect her forward momentum.
Kasumi paused and caught her breath.  Of course Ranma would never hurt her.
She was in complete control of her motion.  Still, it was quite a fright...
And when had he turned back into a girl?

    As she approached the open door to the laundry room, she could hear Ranma
speaking from the bathroom, "What?!?  What is it?  Akane, what's...?"

    A soft crack followed.  And then a splash and sound of clanking metal.
"Ranma?"  Akane's voice had returned to normal.  "Ranma, are you alright?"
Kasumi could hear the edges of panic in her sister's voice.

    Kasumi peeked in the room, to make sure that she wouldn't accidentally see
any male body parts, and saw a female Akane tending the equally female Ranma.
The smaller girl's limp hand fell away from her mouth, which was still open in
surprise.  Even unconscious, her eyes were wide open, pupils points.

    "Oh, my!"  Kasumi quickly checked Ranma's scalp and head for cuts, and
soon found a bump forming at the back of her head.  It appeared she had just
been knocked out.

    Akane was blushing like a maniac, pulling the tie of her wet robe closed.
"Ranma.  She, uh...  Slipped and hit her head!"

    Kasumi noted the ladle and water on the floor and nodded understandingly.
"Ranma should be careful running around on wet tiles.  But he should be okay;
he has a hard head," she smiled.  "Let's get him upstairs where she can
rest."
Akane hastily agreed.

    As the two carried Ranma's small body upstairs, Akane kept looking at her
fiance's face with worry, which did not go unnoticed by Kasumi.  If only she
could show Ranma how much she cared when she was awake.

    Akane wanted to stay and watch over the smaller girl, but Kasumi had said
no.  "There will be plenty of time for that later, Akane.  Come on and let him
rest."  That would also prevent Akane from getting more worried.  She tended
to be a very emotional girl, like their dear father.  Watching over Ranma
would just get her more agitated.

    Akane reluctantly agreed, and Kasumi left her upstairs.

    Nabiki popped her head out of her door and looked down the hall at Akane,
who was hovering around the Saotomes' room.  "Hey, didn't I hear you yell a
minute ago?"

    Akane started, and then nervously walked up to Nabiki.  "Uh, yeah..."

    Nabiki frowned, and opened her door all the way.  "Um, you okay?"

    "I... I think..."  She looked nervously back at the Saotomes' room.  "I
don't think Ranma likes me anymore..."

    "What?!  That idiot's completely be--  Wait, what makes you think that?"

    Akane looked down the hall.  "Uh, can we talk in your room?"

    "Sure, I guess," she invited Akane in.  "But don't sit on the bed!"
Nabiki pulled out a stool for Akane to sit on.  "Couldn't you have at least
dried off before putting on that robe?  She smirked.  "I suppose with a curse
of your own, you'll be as bad as Ranma, now."

    "I'm not a pervert!"

    Nabiki blinked.  "Huh?"

    "I...  He..."  Akane seemed to visibly gather herself.  "I was.. In the
bathroom.  As a...  I was still in my... In the cursed form.  I was starting
to take off the robe...  And Ranma walked in and saw me...  He saw...

    "His face!  It was horrible!  He was SCARED!  He'll never want to look at
me again!"  Akane was practically in tears.  "He fainted!"

    Nabiki tried to be supportive, but it just wasn't in her nature.  It
didn't really sound like a serious problem, anyway; Akane was just
overreacting.  Maybe if she made light of the situation...  "Ranma saw your
boy-side's naughty bits, eh?  I guess that must have been a shock."

    "You don't understand.  Ranma was a girl..."

    "She swooned?"  Nabiki was impressed.  She'd have to see what the
excitement was about.

    "And... It... It was..."

    "Yes...?"

    Akane murmured.  ".w..l.n"

    "What?"

    In the smallest voice she could respond in, "swollen."

    Nabiki put the facts together.  "Girl-type Ranma walked in on you and you
had a hard-on?"

    Akane blushed and waved her arms.  "It wasn't like that!  It wasn't.  I
don't know why that... THING was doing that.  I didn't want it to!  I tried to
make it stop!  But she walked in, and..."   Akane paused, staring at the floor
in shock.  "He'll think I'm a pervert for sure!"

    Nabiki just blinked.  And paused.  Kasumi would know what to do.  Then
again, maybe she wouldn't.  Unconditional love and support was all very nice
and well, but Nabiki preferred the facts, herself.  And since Akane was in her
room, that's exactly what she would get.

    Besides, in the long run, given her curse, it was better that she knew.
"Akane, I think we need to have a little conversation about how boys differ
from girls..."

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                 Author's Notes
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    Girl-type Ranma is several centimeters shorter then Akane, who is of a
height with Shampoo, who is in turn a centimeter or two shorter then Ukyou.
Maybe you don't believe me, and you'd be right if you went by the manga or TV
series; they don't maintain consistency of heights.

    Thus, in the manner of all true scientists ;) I am choosing the evidence
that supports my conclusions.   For this story, I am using the character
designs from the third Ranma movie, "Team Ranma vs. the Legendary Phoenix."

    (In as much as you can use drawings in a purely textual story...)

    I have seen a design sheet from the movie with the relative heights of the
main characters, clearly showing Ranma as the smallest of them all.  Well,
except for a certain gnome and ghoul...  I just feel that girl-type Ranma is
intended to be a spunky, petite girl, in counterpoint to the macho boy.

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 End Part  3    Next Time: "Soap Gets in Your Curse"
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----
Douglas MacDougall
dougmacd@thecia.net