Well, the holidays are over, and after moving to a new apartment and
completely ignoring my writing, I've fnially gotten back to this little
story.

Normally, I've been posting the parts on the weekends, but seeing as
I'm going to be several states South of here with by bros in NC, I'll
just post this part now.

Enjoy.


Doug
----
Douglas MacDougall
dougmacd@thecia.net



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  Ranma 1/2     "The Nature of the Curse"
 Hard Battle    Story by Douglas MacDougall
-------------  ----------------------------------------------------------------

    Originally posted 6 Jan 1999.
    The latest parts and revisions of this story are available at:
    http://www.crosswinds.net/boston/~dougmacd/works.html

    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  6      Cold Water, Hot Temper
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    "Heelllllp meeeeeee!"

    "Stand your ground, fiend, and face your punishment!"  A quick downwards
strike landed a solid blow on the sorcerer's head, but it did little more
then cause him to wince and hold his head.  No doubt his foul magics had made
his flesh as hard as stone.

    Unlike Saotome, this one at least recognized his betters, although his
cowardly upbringing would not let him take him punishment like a man.  If he
were indeed a man; sorcerers could hardly be called human.  The black arts
would twist their souls, had they any to begin with.

    This cretin, this Akira Tsu, was the one responsible for cursing his
pig-tailed girl.  He was sure of it.  And so Kuno gave chase all over the
school ground and around the building.

    There was nowhere the sorcerer could hide, not for his crimes.  He had
tried to steal his beloved's body for the demon Saotome, and only her fiery
spirit and undying love for his noble self had allowed her to keep some
measure of control.

    If only he had known sooner the horrors she had endured!  He would have
dispatched Saotome all the sooner.  By showing mercy and staying Saotome's
demise, he had almost cost Akane her own soul!  The boy he was chasing sought
to repeat the curse he had given to the pig-tailed girl, and was attempting to
possess Akane's body with another hellish beast.

    Again he struck.  Another solid blow to the head, but as ineffective as
the previous.  "Stop running, fiend!  I will make your end swift and painless;
more then you deserve!"

    "I don't want to diieeeee!"

    He scowled at the disgusting whimpers the boy was making.  They rounded
the next wall of the school, approaching some hedges.  The boy tried to vault
one, but his pants caught a branch and caused him to trip, rolling onto the
concrete beyond.

    Kuno bounded over with ease and took a striking position over the fallen
sorcerer.  He grinned as the boy, holding himself up on his hand and knees,
turned his head up to see the final strike.  "For the Pig-Tailed Girl and
Akane Tendo!"

    "Happo Five Yen Satsu!"

    As the boy cowered, Kuno crumpled like a punctured inflatable doll and
floated off into the winds.

    "Delinquents!"  a well-endowed Hinako cursed.  "And you!  You call
yourself a man!  Why didn't you defend yourself?"

    "Me?" squeaked the boy.  "He was attacking me with a sword!  What was I
supposed to do?"

    Hinako just sniffed in disgust.  "Don't expect any help from me in the
future.  A real man should be able to protect himself.  And don't even think
about fighting again or I'll drain you like Mr. Kuno, over there."  She
pointed to a fluttering kite of skin and clothing.

   The teacher stalked off, not hearing the boys words, "How can I defend
myself AND not fight?"  As he got up and brushed himself off, the small
crowd of rubber-necking students broke up as well.

    "Need any help, Akira baby?"

    "Excuse m-- 'Ya!"

    Nabiki blinked at the boy, who jumped like a cat whose tail had been
stepped on.  Actually, higher then that.  Cats whose tails have been stepped
on rarely jump higher then the length of their tails...

    He should do nicely.  It was always nice finding fresh meat, and this boy
had reason to use her services.  And of course she was always amused to see a
man jump at her presence.

    She failed to hide her growing smirk of pleasure.

    "You're not...  "  he pointed weakly at her and then swallowed.  "Wh- Who
are you?" stammered the boy.

    "I'm your best friend, 'Kira baby.  Nabiki Tendo at your service."

    "Nabiki.  Wait, you're in my class.  A- Are you related to Akane Tendo?"

    "She's my baby sister."

    "You're not going to kick me into the river are you?"

    "That depends.  Are you going to turn me into a boy?"

    "N- No!"

    "Well, then.  I'm sure we'll get along just fine."  The boy's expression
indicated that he believed anything but.  She escorted him away from Kuno's
fluttering body.  "Like I said, I'm your best friend, here.  I'm afraid Kuno-
baby is something of an idiot, but he does have connections.  He's the Big Man
On Campus.  Son of the principal, and Captain of the Kendo Club."

    "Yes.  I noticed he knew how to use that sword."  He rubbed his head
tenderly.

    As Nabiki recalled, the boy had taken several direct hits from Kuno, the
same guy who had been known to shatter rock with the air pressure of his
sword, and fell trees with single strikes.  This Akira guy must be pretty
tough.  Maybe like Ryoga?

    "Well, it looks like you've made an enemy of him.  And he's one to hold
grudges.  If you don't look out, he's going to cut you in half."

    "And the teachers let this menace run around school?!"

    "Like I said, his dad's the principal."

    "Great.  Just great."  The boy's posture slumped, making Nabiki grin
again.

    "Don't worry about it.  I'm here to help you out.  It's your lucky day!
Maybe you can buy me a snack and we can talk about your options?"

    "Um, okay.  But I need to meet some people.  Actually..." he fumbled
around in his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a flyer.  "Yeah, I'm
going to meet them at Ucchan's Okonomiaki.  I had some of his food for lunch,
and it was pretty good.  Would you like to eat there?"

    "Sounds good.  And I know the way there.  It's right across from the
coffee and the ice cream shops.  There's an ATM nearby, too."

    The boy started to sweat.

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    Akane was not a happy Tendo.  And it was a well known fact in Nerima that
one stepped wide of angry Tendos.

    She had been splashed AGAIN.  This time by Sayuri.  After she had kicked
Kuno off of herself, she had explained everything to Yuka, but Sayuri had
disappeared somewhere.  When she came back, she dumped a bucket of water on
her.

    Yuka certainly thought it was funny.  After they explained the temporary
nature of the Instant Jusenkyo mixes again to Sayuri, she just lamented losing
her 'Darling', and vowed to make the 'foul sorcerer Akane' pay.  They all
started laughing, but after a few more minutes of joking around, Sayuri
excused herself, and they all went their separate ways.

    At least Akane didn't have to worry about Sayuri being... interested in
her.  She had just found another unattainable boy that she had claimed as a
'boyfriend'.  It was just fluke that the boy happened to be her.

    She frowned.  Someone seriously needed to set that girl up.

    In the meantime, however, she had to walk home dripping wet.  She hadn't
thought it would be a problem, but the gentle breezes were chilling her
instead of drying off her clothes.  Also, the wet uniform was beginning to
chafe.  Being wet sucked.

    When she noticed Nabiki all but dragging Akira into Ucchan's, she decided
to take a detour and follow them.  The boy had mentioned something about the
possibility that curing someone by splashing him or her with Spring of Drowned
Man or Woman water might still leave the person 'cursed', even if they
wouldn't change anymore.

    It hadn't make sense at the time, but after her recent splashing, it was
beginning to.  She no longer turned into a boy, but she was encountering as
much cold water as Ranma ever did.

    Would she be stuck with a 'blind spot' to oncoming water the rest of her
life?  She remembered thinking that only an idiot would want to live in
Ranma's shoes for a day.  And yet, it seemed some kami was trying to arrange
just that.

    She pulled off her school jacket, made heavy with moisture, and pushed
aside a cloth hanging down from the doorway to the restaurant.

    "Hi!  Welcome to Ucchan's!  Oh, hi, Akane!"

    "Mmph."  Ranma was a little startled to see her, but she couldn't be sure
what the utterance meant, what with all the food stuffed in his mouth.

    Nabiki turned around as well.  "Akane," she said primly.  "I thought we
agreed that you'd tell me BEFORE you wanted to do wet T-shirt photos so I
could bring my camera!"

    She started stuttering in outrage, and Ranma started coughing violently.
Nabiki only grinned like a Cheshire cat.  Honestly, her older sister had no
shame.

    "Do you want a towel, Akane?" asked Ukyo.  She was doing a bad job of
hiding a grin of her own.

    "Yes, please."  She sat down on the last stool by the grill, in between
Ranma and Akira.  Nabiki was on the other side of Akira, watching her double-
deluxe grilling.  Akira seemed to have ordered pork again.  Hiroshi and
Daisuke were sitting at a table with some open school books.

    As Akira was counting his remaining money, Akane asked him, "Do you think
I could still be cursed by the Instant Nannichuan?"

    "What?"

    Ranma suddenly stood up, slapping his hands onto the grill.  "You don't
still turn into a guy, do ya?" asked Ranma.  After a second, he starting
flailing his seared hands.

    Ukyo blinked, while handing Akane the towel.  "Turn into a guy?"  She
split her attention between Akane, Ranma, Akira, and the okomoniaki she was
cooking.

    Akane tried to answer all the questions at once.  "Akira here, um,
accidentally splashed me with Instant Spring of Drowned Man water."  Akane
noted the blank look on Ukyo's face.  "It's a powder you add to water to make
Spring of Drowned Man water that only works once.  Well, it worked once, and
wore off last night," she blushed, and then continued, "But even though I
haven't been turning into a guy, people are still splashing me with water."

    "Geez, you had me worrying over nothin'"

    "There shouldn't be any lasting effects to the Instant Powders.  If there
were, I wouldn't be carrying them around with me."

    Little yen signs appeared in Nabiki's eyes.  Akane realized that Akira was
probably going to be in financial trouble very soon.  Too bad for him.

    "Maybe people just like throwing water on you," suggested Ukyo.

    "Naw, people like to kidnap her, not throw water on her."

    Daisuke commented, "Actually, there's a running bet in the school about
whether Ranma actually arranges all those kidnappings, so he can conveniently
rescue her..."

    "Geez, if I wanted Akane kidnapped, why the heck would I go and ruin it
all by taking her back?  I--"

    His sentence was cut off as Akane pounded him to unconsciousness with a
quick blow to the head.  "Jerk."

    Akira recoiled at the violence.  "Eep!"  After a moment, he probed the
hair around where Akane had punched Ranma, and calmed down a bit.  "Well, at
least he's going to be okay..."

    Ukyo explained, "Yeah, she does this to him all the time--"

    "Only when he deserves it!" clarified Akane.

    "Which is apparently all the time," added Nabiki.

    Ukyo waved her hand.  "With his training, he can take any beating she can
dish out."  Indeed, Ranma was already stirring and waking up.  Akane watched
him, waiting for him to say something else stupid, but he managed to hold his
tongue.

    "Training?"

    "Anything Goes Martial Arts," said Ukyo.

    "He's a martial artist?"

    "The best." Ukyo has practically glowing with pride for her fiance, which
retargeted Akane's dangerous look from Ranma to her.

    "There sure are a lot of them around," noted Akira.  "Akane, obviously,
and Ranma.  And Kuno sure knew how to use that wooden sword of his."

    Hiroshi said, "Everybody at Furinkan knows some martial arts."

    "What, everybody?"

    "Everybody."

    Akira responded defiantly, "Not me."

    "What, you don't know ANY martial arts?" asked Ranma, dumbfounded.

    "Everybody in Furinkan knows SOME martial arts," added Daisuke.

    "What about Ukyo?  I mean, you've got your own shop, and you're younger
then I am.  You must have dedicated your life to cooking."

    "I'm a master of the culinary AND martial arts!", she said proudly.
Unslinging the spatula from her back, she performed a quick Martial Arts
Okonomiaki demonstration she had developed to keep her clientele
entertained.

    Akira blinked.  "Oh-kaaay, what about Nabiki?"

    "Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

    Akira looked at her, but she made no move to make a demonstration of her
own.  He turned around and looked at Hiroshi and Daisuke.  "What about you?"

    "Are you kidding?" grinned Hiroshi.

    "We're the Martial Arts Rugby champions of our school!" said Daisuke.

    "Martial Arts... Rugby?"

    Hiroshi explained.  "Yeah!  Except for the Kendo club, we're the best
team this year.  We're even doing better then the Martial Arts Badminton
team.  The Martial Arts Gymnastics club has the same number of wins, but
they'll fight Hebereke High soon, so that's a guaranteed loss.  Forfeit.
Whatever."

    "Unless," remarked Daisuke, "Ranma cares to make a repeat performance of
last year's upset?"

    "No thanks!"

    "Are you people serious?"

    A chorus of agreement arose from the people around Akira.

    "Everyone in Furinkan knows martial arts?"

    "Yep."

    "Yes."

    "Uh huh."

    "'Fraid so."

    "Pretty dumb, huh?"

    Daisuke pointed out, "I think it's part of the new entry requirements for
Furinkan High."

    Ranma asked, "Yeah, how did you get in, if you don't know how to fight?"

    "I don't know."  He hung his head and muttered under his breath, "I'm
beginning to wish I hadn't been let in.  Where have you sent me, mom?
They're all insane..."

    "Says here that you're the heir to the Tsu School of Kendo."

    "What?"

    Nabiki was holding a folder with photocopies of Akira's school record in
it.  "You did take on Kuno..."

    "'Take on'?  All I did was get hit on the head!"

    "Yes, but you did take several blows without getting your head split
open like a watermelon.  And Kuno can be pretty vicious against
watermelons..."

    "It's just a fluke." He explained, "My father wanted me to learn Kendo,
but I wasn't interested.  He tried to bludgeon me into it, but I refused.  Uh,
when I say bludgeon, I mean that literally.  And since I wasn't learning
Kendo, I didn't know how to STOP him from hitting me.  I pretty much had to
take it.  Eventually, I became inured to the pain and didn't care anymore.

    "He stopped trying to pressure me a few years ago, but I guess he still
wants me to take over the school."

    "Stone-skin training, huh?"  Ranma leaned over Akane and made a quick
punch to Akira's side to test his toughness, but the boy crumpled onto the
floor, pulling his plate and glass with him.  The water spilled over his head,
and the food on the floor, but the dinnerware managed to remain intact.  Akira
didn't notice, as he was trying to catch his breath.

    "ow..."

    "Geez, you're not so tough."

    "Ranma!  Stop beating on the weak!  Are you okay, Akira?"  Akane helped
him up and picked up the glass and plate from the floor.

    "Why did you hit me?" he whimpered, taking off his glasses.  He held them
awkwardly with the arm in a sling, and with his free hand dried them against
the flap of his school uniform.

    "Hey!  I thought you could take it."

    Akira climbed to his stool again.  "What made you think I could 'take
it'!?!  I just told you I'm not a martial artist!"

    "Hey, you said you could shrug off your father's beatings."

    "He only hit me on the head!"

    "Really?"  Nabiki knuckle-punched him above the ear, whiplashing his head
to one side.

    He blinked, unfazed.  "Why did you do that?"

    Nabiki flapped her hand, blowing on her knuckles.  "Hard."

    "Iron-head training, huh?  Glad pops never thought about that."

    Akira looked around the room, "What is with you people?  Is violence your
solution to everything?"

    "Nihao!"  Shampoo bounced into the shop.

    "Shampoo!"  yelled everyone in the shop.  Some with fear, others with
disdain, and two (sitting at the table to the side) with thinly-veiled tones
of worship.  The new boy just boggled, putting his glasses back on.

    "I mean, welcome to Ucchan's!"

    "Shampoo come check on Airen, make sure pervert-girl not do anything
weird."  She stared at the pervert-girl in question, frowning at the towel
she had.  It was clear from her clothes that she had recently been wet.

    "I am NOT a pervert-girl!"

    "You should no bother try to deny."  She checked on her airen, "She not
try to use boy-type wiles on you again, did she?"

    Ranma nearly fell off his seat.  "B- Boy-type wiles?!?"

    "Again?!?" added Ukyo.

    Shampoo turned to Ukyo.  "You best watch out for Akane.  She turn into boy
to try seduce girl-type Ranma!"

    "What?!"

    "You SEDUCED my Ran-chan?" yelled Ukyo.

    "NO!!"

    "Akane stupid to try seduce Ranma.  Airen not care about boys.  He only
like real girl!"  She started to cuddle up to her airen, but noticed that he
was looking somewhat pale.  "Is Airen alright?"

    Ukyo peered at him, joking, "Akane DID fail to seduce her with her
'boy-type' wiles, didn't she?"

    Ranma started laughing wildly, startling everyone nearby.  "Akane?  Seduce
ME?  You've GOT to be kidding!"  Shampoo did not like the slightly crazed look
in her airen's eyes.  "Although, she had a better chance using boy-type wiles
then her girl-type wiles."  He blinked, as if startled by his own choice of
words.  "What I mean is, she doesn't know a thing about being feminine, so--"

    Akane gave him an uppercut.  "You JERK!!!  How can you say things like
that?"

    Shampoo surveyed the damage and came to a conclusion.  "Shampoo think it
best that Ranma stay with Shampoo tonight."

    "What?" cried the other two fiancees in unison.

    "Ranma not safe with Akane around.  She try to use weird boy-type body
to seduce Airen, again."

    "I'm NOT going to use my weird body.  Augh!"  For the second time in as
many days, Shampoo had tricked Akane into insulting herself.  Losing a verbal
sparring match to the bimbo was not doing much for her mood.

    "What you saying?  You dripping wet!  You just change back from boy.  I
can tell!"

    "I'm drying off because Sayuri splashed me!  She wanted to see if I was
really her Darli--"  Akane choked off the last word.

    "Darling?" asked Hiroshi.  Of course, his perverted mind filled in the
gaps.  "You're trying to seduce Sayuri, too?" babbled Hiroshi.

    "No!  It was INSTANT Nannichuan!  I DON'T turn into a boy anymore!"

    "So you put the moves on her as a girl?"  As images danced in Hiroshi's
mind, he covered his nose to hold off the impending blood rush.

    Daisuke kept his distance as Akane pounded his fair-haired friend flat.

    "Instant Nannichuan?" asked Shampoo.

    "YES!!!"

    Shampoo grabbed a bucket out of nowhere are splashed Akane.  "Is true,
you no change anymore!"

    "..." fumed Akane.

    "Where you get Instant Nannichuan?"

    At this point, the silent boy meekly raised his hand.  "Th- That would
be my fault."

    "You?"  She looked at the new boy intently, furrowing her purple brow.
After a moment of scrutiny she said, "You come with Shampoo."  By the tone of
her voice, it was an order, not a request, and the boy seemed to understand.
Nabiki got her curious fingers out of his bag before he nervously got up and
grabbed his stuff.  He made one nervous glance back as he followed Shampoo out
of the store.

    After a few moments, Daisuke felt it was safe to talk again.  Ranma and
Hiroshi were coming around, and Akane was taking deep (what he hoped were
calming) breaths.  With some reluctance, he pulled his eyes away from the
effects of the water and her breathing on Akane's top.  Ranma would no doubt
take it the wrong way.  Flat chested, indeed.

    He poked his friend on the head.  "You okay?"

    "Nnnrg.  What happened?"

    "We appear to have gotten involved in a tiff between Ranma and his
fiancees."

    "I think I got more involved then you did."  Hiroshi tenderly felt the
lump forming on his head.

    "That's because MY mouth is controlled by this wonderful organ called a
'brain'."

    "Ha ha, very funny.  Hey wait, where did our substitute brain go?"

    "Akira?  He got dragged off by Shampoo.  I wonder what sort of...
attentions he'll be suffering."  He paused to watch Hiroshi's reaction.
"Dude, stop drooling."

    "Man, if only she wasn't so violent...  Damn, this is the second time
Akira split before we got anything out of him."

    The two sat and watched as Akane all but dragged Ranma out of Ucchan's.
Nabiki finished off her okonomiaki, put a packet of something into her pocket,
and practically skipped out of the store.  Finally, Daisuke said, "Well, our
tutor and the side show are gone.  I suppose there's no point hanging around
here, then."

    "Guess not," sighed Hiroshi.

    "So if you're finished mooning over Ukyo...?"

    His friend glanced nervously at the cook, but she seemed not to have
noticed his words.  Ranma's Fan Club got up and paid, Hiroshi thanking her
for the wonderful meal.

    As they left the restaurant, Hiroshi noted, "Man, I wish Ukyo was free.
She's just so perfect.  Not violent like the other girls."

    Daisuke rolled his eyes, keeping his mouth shut.

    "Hey, maybe some of us want a girl who won't beat the crap out of us.  Or
paralyze you and knock you out."

    Daisuke grinned.  "I can think of worse things then to be knocked
unconscious and dragged into Kodachi's bed.  Unable to resist her
attentions... (even if I wanted to)"

    Hiroshi winced.  "Just forget I brought it up, okay?"

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    Inside Ucchan's, Ukyo drew a small cooking spatula over the surface of
two okonomiaki she had made, decorated with sauce drawings of Akane and
Shampoo perforated with sharp objects.  The sauce now evenly covered the
foodstuffs, forever destroying the artwork.

    Just in time, as Konatsu approached, clinging to the wooden crosspieces
of the ceiling.  "Is there anything I get you, Mistress?"

    "Actually..."  Ukyo shook her head.  "I'm going to go out for a walk.  I
need to clear my head, okay?  Could you mind the store?"

    "Anything you ask, my Mistress!"  Konatsu flipped from the ceiling down
to the floor silently, landing in a perfect kneeling bow.

    "Ah, thanks."  She smiled at the boy dressed as a female ninja.  She had
tried to get him to act less subserviently, or like a man, but it appeared
useless.  After years of training, he considered himself a subservient
kunoichi.  It always made Ukyo a little nervous to consider how smitten he was
with her.  He did look a LOT like a woman, after all.

    She slowly walked out of the store, still wearing her school uniform
and spatulas.  When she got back for the dinner rush she'd change into her
blue and white cooking uniform.  Hopefully there wouldn't be much business
before then.  Konatsu still had a very weak grasp on the concept of money and
profit...

    And so, she walked off towards the canal and park thinking about her
fiance and Akane.  And his weird reaction to Shampoo's statement about
'boy-type wiles'...

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    As soon as Akane stepped into the house, Nodoka rushed up to her,
carrying a kettle.  "Akane, are you alright?  Is it true?  Oh no, you're wet!
Did you change on the way back from school?  Did Ranma help you?"

    Nodoka's caring presence calmed the seething anger that had been boiling
in Akane.  She didn't want to be mad, but everyone was throwing water at her,
and that jerk Ranma insulted her femininity.  Even he should know better then
to say that to a girl who just got over turning into a boy!

    "I'm fine, Auntie Saotome.  I don't turn into a boy anymore."

    "You're cured?!"  She smiled happily, and looked hopefully at Ranma.

    "It was just temporary.  I wasn't really cursed."

    Nodoka put down the kettle and hugged Akane.  "I was so worried about
you, dear.  I should never have visited Mrs. Ishikawa, but I arranged the
visit when we thought the wedding...  Anyway, when I came back your fathers
were saying such horrible things about you becoming cursed.  I'm glad you're
better now."

    "Thanks, Auntie."

    "It's too bad you couldn't have found a cure, though.  At least for my
son."

    "Geez, Mom..."

    "Now, Ranma, you don't want to spend the rest of your life turning into
a girl, do you?"

    "Of course not!"

    "Good.  I don't care what your fathers said, I do not want to hear any
more talk of you and a cursed Akane and you being a 'perfect couple'.  My
son will not play the wife to anyone, even if it is you, Akane.  No offense
intended.  No, you two are already a perfect couple.  We just need to find a
cure for Ranma."

    The two teens blushed.

    A gentle voice spoke from the kitchen, "Auntie Saotome, could you please
help me in the kitchen?"

    "Of course Kasumi, I'll be right there!"

    Moments later, Soun was in the hall.  "Akane!  So glad to see you're back.
Come, let's do some more sparring, shall we?"  And with those words, Soun
threw a glass of water on his daughter.  "Wh- What?  You're still a girl?"

    Akane remembered what Auntie Saotome had taught her about boiling water.
If the water is really hot, and you completely cover it, the pressure inside
can cause the lid to be thrown off.  So over high heat, you should always
place the top a little off-center, or use a top with a pressure valve so the
gas can escape.

    As Nodoka left, the metaphorical lid she had placed on Akane's anger was
blown completely off, and her anger boiled over.  After being repeatedly
splashed with water and having Ranma insult her, she wanted to break
something.  Badly.  Cinder blocks would have done, but it looked like Dad was
volunteering for the job.  Good, she needed to 'discuss' their training
session from yesterday, anyway.

    "I'll see you in the dojo in ten minutes, Daddy."  Muscles spasmed in her
face and forearms, .  "Just after I DRY OFF."  She stalked into the bathroom.

    "Whoa, rest in peace, Mr. Tendo," consoled Ranma.

    Soun started sobbing.

-------------  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 End Part  6    Next Time:  "The Kidnapping of Ranma"
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Handy C&C Form (Short Answer):
------------------------------

1) Do you feel any characters are acting badly Out Of Character?       [15 pts]

2) Do you feel any characters are exhibiting cliched fanfic behavior?  [25 pts]

3) Does the plot flow well, or does it feel contrived?                 [20 pts]

3a) What was your opinion of Akane's temporary curse?                  [25 pts]

4) What is your opinion of Akira Tsu?                                  [15 pts]


Extra credit (Essay):
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5) Explain, in five hundred (500) words or more, why cuteness is       [25 pts]
   is most important Virtue.  Use examples, including, but not
   limited to:
    a) Mihoshi (Tenchi Muyo)
    b) Mokona  (Magic Knights Rayearth)
    c) Shiko   (Project A-ko)