Muyami Academy
What if they ALL went to the same school?
Previous chapters at: http://members.xoom.com/bellchan/
Thanks to my prereaders, T.H. Tiger, Bombadil Goh,
Jeffrey Cornish and William Morse. Also thanks to Jed Hagen
and Stardragon for surprise C&C. Several great lines directly
stolen from Jed Hagen's comments. ^_^
DISCLAIMER: Ranma 1/2 characters and stuff, and Inu-
Yasha characters and stuff, not to mention Ursei Yatsura
characters and stuff, copyright 1999 Rumiko Takehashi.
Tenchi Muyou characters and stuff, copyright 1999 Pioneer &
AIC. Mamono Hunter Yohko characters and stuff copyright
1999 AD Vision, NCS, Toho Company, LTD, Mad House, and
I don't know who else. Koko wa Greenwood characters
copyright Yuki Nasu. Mint na Bokura characters copyright
Wataru Yoshizume. Other characters and stuff also copyright
the creators and owners.
Chapter Ten
A Day In The Life
Part A
Waves rolled over the deck of the Devil Hunter, tossing
the tiny two-mast ship about like a leaf. The wind screamed
mockingly at Yohko Mano and stung her with saltwater rain.
She clung to the ropes in desperation, like a sinner clutching
her rosary during confession, and she prayed for the storm to
break and for daylight to arrive.
Captain Ukyo Kuonji had lashed himself to his wheel.
Yohko could see him up on the poopdeck, a darker shadow
against the black of night. He leaned into the wind, and with
his First Mate, Ryoga Hibiki, struggled to keep the ship from
foundering.
Out of the slashing rain and darkness a figure appeared,
moving slowly, clinging to the rail and rigging to keep from
being washed overboard. Yohko gave a cry of delight when
she recognized one of her best friends, Ranma Saotome.
"It looks bad!" the redheaded girl shouted over the roar of
the storm. "Do you think we're going to make it?"
Yohko smiled confidently. "I have faith in Captain
Ukyo!" she yelled back. "He'll get us through this, just you
watch!"
Ranma nodded in agreement.
"Ranma!" Yohko yelled out. "Do you have a boyfriend?
Ranma looked startled. "What?" she yelled. "No! I've
never had a boyfriend!"
"Too bad," Yohko yelled back. "I was just thinking that
First Mate Hibiki would make a good boyfriend... or perhaps
even the dashing Captain Kuonji. What do you think?"
Whatever Ranma shouted in reply was lost in a sudden
crashing, crushing noise. A massive wave washed over them,
chilling them to the bone. Then, as the water washed over the
side, the boat shot up, out of the water. It spun and rolled over,
crashing into the dark seas on its side.
Wood shrieked and split apart. Ropes snapped like dry
spaghetti. Yohko found herself falling, and gasped as she
plunged into cold water. For several moments she struggled in
icy blackness, then she shot above the surface of the sea and,
coughing, took a ragged breath of salt-tinged air.
The ship had been shattered into a million pieces. Debris
floated in the water all about her. First Mate Ryoga, balanced
on a nearby section of wood, spotted her and called out,
"Yohko, my love! Over here, quickly! It's the kraken, the
demon of the ocean depths!"
Ryoga stretched his hand out. Something shot up out of
the ocean in an explosion of water. Yohko saw ink-black
tentacles wrap about Ryoga, and in a single breath he was
pulled under.
"No!" Yohko cried out. Somehow, she found herself
standing on a large piece of floating debris. Water dripped
from her red silk dress, and she held her soulsword before her.
A section of the deck, with the wheel still attached, floated
towards her. Brave Captain Kuonji, still strapped to his wheel,
continued to steer, as if gripping the wheel with a steady hand
would somehow allow him to reach land safely. A wave of
confidence washed through Yohko; if the heroic not to mention
handsome Captain could not save her, then what hope was
there?
"Never fear, my darling Yohko!" he called out. "I'll get us
out of this disaster yet! There isn't a kraken alive that has faced
me and lived to tell of it!"
Yohko clasped a hand over her heart. Oh, Ukyo-sama
was so brave! Once they were on dry land, she would weep
bitter tears for the loss of Ryoga Hibiki, but Captain Kuonji
would surely be there to comfort her!
Then the kraken rose out of the water before her. It was a
monstrous beast with massive black tentacles and a body well
over 200 feet long. Yohko cried out in shock as she saw a face
at the end of that long body... it was none other than the face of
her supposed friend, Ranma Saotome.
The lifeless body of Ryoga Hibiki was held high by
several black tentacles.
"Surprised?" the beast called out, in Ranma's voice. "I've
been lying to you all along, Yohko! The fact is, I'm engaged to
Ryoga here... and to your lovely Captain as well!"
With a snapping of rope, more tentacles pried Captain
Kuonji from his wheel and held him up high. Without his firm
hand, the deck and wheel sank beneath the waves.
"Forgive me, darling Yohko!" Ukyo called out. "I was
blind when I promised my love to Ranma! Only now do I
realize what a monster she is!"
"Bwahahaha!" Ranma-kraken crowed. "So, Demon
Hunter, Seal Breaker, Gate Opener! You'll never have either
of your loves, fool that you are!"
The kraken popped both men into its mouth and
swallowed.
It let out a massive belch.
"NOOOOO!" Yohko yelled out, lunging forward.
And then, strong arms wrapped about her, and she glanced
over her shoulder into the face of the most handsome boy she'd
ever encountered.
"You're safe with me, Yohko-chan," the mysterious man
with the pigtail said.
Yohko was about to ask the stranger his name, when he
faded from her view, along with the kraken.
Everything grew quiet. Yohko no longer saw the dark
waves, strewn with flotsam and jetsam. She no longer heard
the roar of the wind, nor did she feel the water washing over
her feet, nor taste the salt spray on her face. Instead, she felt
the warmth of blankets tangled about her feet, heard the steady
breathing of her sleeping roommate, and saw the glowing
number of the digital clock that sat on her dorm room desk.
Yohko blinked for a moment in confusion.
"It was just a dream?" she asked of no one in particular.
Then, as the fog of sleep slowly faded, she laughed at herself.
"Well of course it was a dream... and what a strange dream at
that!"
There was a twinge in her lower abdomen, and then a
wave of sharp pain. Yohko doubled over, clutching her
stomach. Several moments passed, and the pain receded like
an ocean tide.
"That's right," Yohko whispered, recalling the previous
evening clearly now. "We fought that demon last night, and I
found out that Ranma is engaged to both Ryoga and Ukyo.
"And then I let Akane fix me a late-night snack...."
Yohko clutched her stomach again as another wave of
pain washed over her. Never again, she swore silently. Never
again would she eat a meal prepared by Akane Tendo!
***
It was early morning, and Akane lay awake in her bed,
unable to sleep. In her case, however, it was only a troubled
mind that bothered her. Luckily for Akane, she hadn't eaten
any of the food she'd prepared for her friend Yohko the night
before.
She turned the events of the night before over in her mind.
In particular, she thought on the news that Ranma might be
engaged to Ukyo Kuonji.
It didn't really make any sense, but Ranma recognized
Ukyo, and Ukyo seemed convinced that they were engaged.
But why would Ranma have a male fiancee?
More importantly, why did it bother Akane so?
Was she jealous? Akane thought about it, and laughed.
The idea was absurd -- Akane despised boys. She'd never
wanted the engagement, and Ranma, while not as obviously
perverted as the average teenage boy, was still very much a
jerk. Even as a girl, Ranma was thoughtless, tactless and
brilliantly stupid, but as a boy all of his bad traits seemed to
multiply. No, Akane did not like being engaged to Ranma, and
was happy to have Ranma attending school as a girl.
What then? Could she possibly be jealous over Ukyo?
But that made no sense... Akane didn't even know the boy.
Their whole engagement had been a sham, cooked up by
Ranma before the two had even met. It was true that Ukyo
seemed nice enough, for a boy, but then, Tenchi and Shun were
also abnormally nice, for boys.
Or maybe she was just jealous of the attention? But that
was preposterous -- she'd transfered from Furinkan precisely
because she despised being the center of attention. Having all
of those boys challenging her, watching her, lusting after her...
Akane gave an involuntary shudder. No, that certainly wasn't
the problem.
She laughed to herself. After last night, when Yohko,
Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka had fought a demon in front of the
entire student body -- well, Akane doubted she would ever be
the center of attention at this particular school. That suited her
just fine.
In any case, she thought as she rolled out of bed, there
were two things that she knew she had to do. One was to make
certain that Ranma's story about Akane and Ukyo being
engaged spread no further. It was a stupid, pathetic lie, which
was what she got for letting Ranma cover for her. Hopefully
she could manage to defuse the story without having to reveal
her true fiancee's name.
The other thing was to find out what was really going on
between Ukyo and Ranma.
***
The ping, ping, ping of droplets echoed in the tiled room
like water dripping in a deep limestone cave. It was late at
night, or early in the morning, depending on your point of
view. Ranma had yet to sleep, but was taking advantage of the
early hour to take a quick shower.
Most of the dormitory slept. Ranma was alone in the
girl's second-floor bathroom, and he'd therefore allowed
himself the pleasure of a hot-water shower, something he'd
frequently missed when out in the wilderness with his father.
As the hot water rolled over his flat, muscular chest, he thought
again about his Conversation with Belldandy hours earlier.
A cure. To never transform again. It was what he
wanted, wasn't it?
To be honest, being a girl didn't bother Ranma that much.
Not that he really wanted to be a girl, as such, but it had been
nice to be so close to his mother. However, Ranma was
attracted to girls, not boys, and he preferred the practical
clothing of a guy. Most of all, the knowledge that, at any
moment, a splash of water could change his gender -- that
bothered him. So if a cure was offered, he'd take it.
Even if it meant leaving Muyami Academy.
However, Ranma had a few thoughts on that, as well.
Now that he knew there was a girl living in the boy's dorm, the
solution to all of his problems seemed clear. He'd become a
guy again, and he and Ukyo would swap places. Problem
solved.
Naturally, it didn't occur to Ranma that nothing had ever
turned out the way he planned it.
Ranma set the water to cold. After a brief shot of icy
water, she shut the water off and retrieved her towel.
Even this early in the morning, even if she were all alone,
and even if she were currently female, Ranma was careful to
towel off completely before stepping from the shower stall, so
that she could dress and leave as quickly as possible. She'd
decided to not take any chance of being discovered. As soon
as she was dry, she slipped quickly out of the stall...
...And stood face to face with Akane.
"Ranma?" Akane asked.
"Eep!" Ranma exclaimed, and spun about. "I didn't see
anything, honest!"
"Baka! You're the only one who's not dressed."
Belatedly, Ranma realized that Akane was right. While
Akane wore yellow pajamas, Ranma was naked as a shorn
sheep... provided that sheep had a towel. Ranma quickly
wrapped said towel about herself.
"What are you doing up so late?" Akane asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," Ranma said.
"I couldn't sleep," Akane said. "So I thought I'd take a
quick bath...."
She began to undress. Ranma eeped and again spun
around.
"Baka," Akane said. "Are you a girl or aren't you?"
"Only sometimes," Ranma said. "I told you, I'm really a
guy."
"Well," Akane said, "then don't look. And get dressed.
You really ought to get some sleep; if you don't, you're going
to fall behind in class before the first week is finished."
"Oh?" Ranma replied, dressing quickly. "And what about
you?"
Akane knelt and began to wash. "One day won't hurt me,"
she said. "I do well at school, unlike you."
"What's that supposed to mean? You think you're smarter
than me?"
"What I think," Akane said, "is that you've spent a long
time travelling around with your father, instead of attending
school. I can tell by your speech that you haven't had a good
education."
"Shows what you know," Ranma said. "Pops learned me
lots of stuff himself."
Akane rolled her eyes. Water splashed and echoed off the
walls as she rinsed off and then stepped into the bath.
"That may be true," she said, "but your father is an idiot."
Ranma didn't have a counter for this.
"So when's your roommate showing up?" Akane asked.
Ranma shrugged. "I heard today sometime. Although
really it'd be okay with me if she never showed."
"Should be interesting, you having a girl for a roommate.
That is, if you really are a boy, still."
Ranma glanced at her fiancee. She knew how Akane felt about
boys... but here, Akane was bathing right in front of Ranma.
Either Akane really thought Ranma was a girl, now, or else she
desperately wanted Ranma to be a girl, so she could get out of
their engagement. Either way, it was very clear to Ranma that
Akane was a fiancee in name only.
Not that Ranma could actually see anything, with the
steam and the dim lighting and with Akane submerged in water
to her neck.
Not that Ranma necessarily wanted to see anything.
"I'll deal with it," Ranma said. Deep down, she was
thinking that, by this time tomorrow, she might be 100% guy
again and living in the boy's dorms. But she didn't want to say
anything, for fear of jinxing her plan.
"Anyway," Ranma said, "That's not what you really want
to talk about, is it?"
Akane stared at Ranma, apparently wondering how
someone that dense could also be so observant. Ranma smiled,
feeling smug that she'd been right.
Akane shook her head, and said, "Ranma, why did Ukyo
say that you two are engaged?"
This was exactly what Ranma had expected Akane to ask.
Still, she wasn't quite certain how to answer it.
"It's kind of complicated," Ranma said.
"Everything with you is complicated, Ranma. But I'm
your fian... your friend. You can tell me."
"I really can't," Ranma said.
"Ranma! More than anyone, I deserve an answer!"
Ranma paused, then nodded.
"Okay," she said, "but you gotta promise to keep this a
secret."
Akane nodded. "Go on."
"I'm serious about this," Ranma said. "This isn't even my
secret, but one I promised to never reveal."
Akane nodded somberly. "I understand," she said. "I
won't tell a soul."
Ranma took a deep breath.
"Ukyo was my best friend, when I was young," Ranma
said. "In fact, though we only knew each other a short time,
Uchan was just about the best friend I ever had. We did
everything together.
"Somewhere along the line, my pop and Ukyo's decided
that we should be more than just friends, and they arranged for
the two of us to be engaged." The redhead held up her hands.
"But I didn't remember anything about it, I swear! It's all my
father's fault!"
Akane was staring at her iinuzake in confusion. "Ranma,"
she said, "your father engaged you to a boy? Exactly how long
ago was this? I thought you'd only been a girl for a short
time...."
"I have! I have! But Ukyo..." her voice lowered. "This is
the part you gotta keep a secret, Akane, because it would mess
Ukyo up if you didn't. You see, Ukyo is really a girl."
***
Sleep finally came to Ranma. One moment she was lying
in bed, drifting off to sleep and dreaming of becoming a boy
again, and the next moment, she was awakened by the early-
morning sounds of birds chirping, of girl's footsteps and voices
echoing down the hall, and the sounds of an attack helicopter
hovering outside her window.
Ranma opened her eyes, then quickly closed them again.
For years she'd been rising before dawn to practice, and her
internal clock never lied to her. So why was her room flooded
with light?
As she sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, she
became aware the deafening thrumming sound. It really did
sound like an attack helicopter was hovering just outside.
She glanced out the window.
With floodlights, she added. Which would explain the
bright light.
"ATSUKO NATSUME!" a voice yelled. It was amplified
quite nicely by the speakers mounted on the helicopter, so that
nobody anywhere on the school campus could help but fail to
hear it. From where Ranma sat, less than 20 feet from ground
zero as it were, the voice was loud enough to still be ringing in
her ears several minutes later.
"WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE," the voice continued.
"YOU HAVE EXACTLY FIVE SECONDS TO
SURRENDER AND COME OUT WHERE WE CAN SHOOT
YOU, OR WE'LL START SHOOTING!
"ONE!"
Over the din of the copter and the shouting voice, Ranma
heard an ominous click. She dove under her comforter just as
the window exploded in a hail of glass. From the corner of her
eye, she saw something long and thin shoot through her room
like a... well, like an air-to-surface missile, not to put too fine a
point on it. Wood splintered and steel hinges screamed as the
object blasted through Ranma's door and then the door on the
opposite side of the hallway. Then came another crash of glass
as the window in Ryoko and Ifurita's room disintegrated,
followed by a loud explosion as the missile finally detonated,
somewhere between the girl's and boy's dorms.
"TWO!" the voice called out.
"What the hell is going on here!" Ranma yelled out. But,
through the din of the chopper and the impressive ringing in
her ears, she could make out a lot of other voices shouting the
same thing. No doubt the whole dorm wanted to know.
A girl whom Ranma had only briefly met stuck her head
into the room. She had pink hair and a bubbly personality, and
was wearing white cotton pajamas with pink footprints on
them. Cat footprints, a part of Ranma's mind suggested.
Ranma quickly slammed the door on that particular thought.
Her name, Ranma recalled, was Natsume, although
everyone called her Nuku Nuku. She took one look out the
window and her eyes grew very wide. She clapped her hands
together in delight.
"Arisa and Kyouko have come to play!" she exclaimed,
then leapt from the room to the helicopter in a single bound.
"THREE!" the voice called out, and then, "GET OFF OF
THERE! LEAVE THAT ALONE! NO! DON'T POINT
THAT AT ME!"
There was a loud explosion, and part of the concrete wall
that had recently held a window disintegrated.
Ryoko, the green-haired demon from across the hall, flew
through Ranma's room and out the window. Her eyes were
glowing red with anger.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Ryoko yelled. "Don't you
know that people are trying to sleep here?"
There was another explosion. The floodlights suddenly
swung away, leaving Ranma in the dark.
"STAY AWAY! I'M WARNING YOU! THIS IS A
FULLY FUNCTIONING, TOP OF THE LINE,
EXPERIMENTAL MILITARY ATTACK CRAFT, AND I
KNOW HOW TO.... *STOP* THAT! HEY! LEAVE THAT
ALONE! YOU'RE BREAKING IT!"
More explosions and shouting followed, but they faded
into the distance as the helicopter apparently tried to flee.
Ranma slid from beneath the covers and stared out into the
predawn night, and watched the burning chopper spiral down
in the direction of the soccer field.
"Glad I showered last night," Ranma muttered. "If this
sort of thing happens often, I'll have a hard time getting up
before anyone else."
She stretched and started in on her morning katas, before
realizing that she had an audience. Half the girls on her floor
were crowded into the hallway, staring in amazement at the
damage in her and Ryoko/Ifurita's rooms.
"Ranma?" Akane asked. "Are you okay?"
Ranma shrugged, then nodded.
The babble of multiple conversations ensued. Ranma sat
on the bed, still a bit stunned, and let the jumble of voices wash
over her. She almost completely missed the high-pitched
whine of electric machinery or the deep-voiced cough as
someone who was clearly not female cleared their throat.
The hum of conversation died down as suddenly as it had
begun. Ranma glanced up, noting that two large construction
workers, dressed in orange coveralls and yellow construction
hats, were perched on a platform suspended just outside the
hole in the outer wall of her room.
The shorter of the two had a thick cigar in his mouth. He
cleared his throat again, then said, "Excuse me, ladies, but
we're here to fix the hole in the wall."
"Already?" Ranma blurted out.
"Oh my!" Belldandy exclaimed from the doorway. "I
can't have you men working up here while the girls are getting
dressed."
"It's best we get an early start, ma'am," the short one said.
"In fact, the Principal insisted on it. He said if we wait, further
damage might threaten the stability of the building itself."
He looked over the damage and whistled. "Musta been
cold, sleeping in here last night."
"Ano," Ranma said, "this wasn't like this five minutes ago.
The hole from last night is three rooms down...."
The construction worker nodded, and pushed his hat back
on his head.
"Smart man, that Principal," he said. "Well, you girls just
go about your business, and don't go making any new holes.
We'll have this all fixed up by evening."
***
"This is stupid," Ranma said under her breath. "I thought
your Grandmother was going to teach me to be a Demon
Hunter. Instead I'm stuck in some lame Martial Arts Club."
The students of the Muyami Academy Martial Arts Club
were arranged in a ragged line on the front lawn of the school.
The gray light of predawn filtered down through fog that hung
like a blanket over the campus, and sounds echoed loudly and
unnaturally across the still school ground.
It was cold, and the grass was exceedingly wet.
Ranma stood between Akane and Yohko. The rest of the
class consisted of Shampoo, her Chinese boyfriend Mousse,
Ranma's new "boy" fiancee Ukyo, Tenchi, and Belldandy's
roommate, Ayukawa Madoka.
In front of the class stood Cologne and Madoka Ayukawa.
The diminutive Chinese ghoul bounced on her staff pogo-like
as she droned on about the true role of a martial artist, and
other things that Ranma didn't need to hear.
"Are we going to train with your Grandmother when this
is done?" Ranma asked.
"The Kendo Club meets after this," Yohko whispered
back. The anger that flared in her eyes made it clear that she
still hadn't forgiven her red-haired friend.
"And?"
"And? You and I are both in it, you know."
Ranma frowned. "Don't be stupid. I didn't sign up for no
Kendo Club."
"Grandmother signed you up," Yohko whispered fiercely.
"If you're going to be a Demon Hunter, you need to learn to
handle a sword. Now shut up."
She glared at Ranma for a moment, then looked away.
Ranma sighed. Cologne droned on. Ranma stifled a yawn.
Cologne paused and raised an eyebrow. "Are you bored,
child?" she asked, "or just tired?"
"Neither, Ma'am," Akane supplied helpfully. "She's just
stupid."
Ranma glared angrily at Akane, who stuck her tongue out
playfully, then glanced back at the waiting Sensei. She blinked
for a moment, then shrugged. "I was just wondering," she said,
"are we actually going to do anything here? Because I was
hoping to learn something new, but all this talk is stuff my
dad's said a million times before."
A smile crawled across the old crone's face.
"Naturally," she said, "actions speak louder than words,
especially in a classroom setting. Very well, young lady, let us
do something, shall we? Please step forward."
Ranma grinned and stepped forward, cracking her
knuckles. "About time!" she said, assuming a defensive
crouch.
A half-second later, Ranma lay sprawled flat on the grass,
a nasty bump on her head. The others blinked in surprise --
nobody had even seen Cologne move.
Ranma sat up, rubbing her head. Damn but the old
mummy was fast! She'd seemed quick enough the day before
at the fair, but this was an order of magnitude faster than that.
Ranma raised an eyebrow. Maybe the old crone did have
something to teach, after all.
"Now," Cologne said, "if there are any other questions?"
Akane raised her hand and asked, "Will we always be
practicing outside?"
"Nothing wrong with that," Ranma said. "Me and Pops
have always gone outside to practice."
"Indeed," Cologne added. "When the weather is bad
enough, we might move to the gym, but for the most part we'll
be outside. I was actually hoping we could use the soccer field
for practice, but at the moment it's occupied by the remains of a
helicopter, and Mishima Heavy Industries has slapped a
security cordon on the entire area.
"Any other questions?"
Madoka Ayukawa raised her hand. Cologne nodded to
her. "Yes, child?"
"Forgive me, Cologne-Sensei," Madoka said, "but this is a
student-run club. You and Mano-Sensei are advisors only, are
you not? Who is the leader of the club, then?"
Cologne nodded to her granddaughter. The Chinese girl
with the long purple hair leaped forward and turned to face the
other students. She planted herself in the wet grass, feet spread
apart, and placed her hands on her hips.
"Shampoo is leader of club!" she said sharply. "Anyone
have problem, Shampoo fight! Defeat Shampoo, become
leader of club! Is clear?"
The girl glared meaningfully at Ranma, but Ranma only
glanced away, feigning disinterest. Club leader? It was only a
title. The girl could have it.
Madoka smiled ever so slightly. "No offense," she said,
"but you're just a first-year student. Don't you think an upper-
classman would be better suited to lead the club?"
Shampoo smiled back. "Have sixteen year of study
martial arts," she said in broken Japanese. "Grandma teach.
Grandma best warrior in Joketzu, and famous in all of China.
Shampoo best warrior in Joketzu after Grandma. You think
better? Then fight Shampoo, and see."
Madoka considered this for a moment. But the
haughtiness of the Chinese girl seemed to spark something
inside her. Her eyes smoldered briefly as she stared at
Shampoo, then she shrugged, as if it indifferent, and stepped
forward planting her feet.
"Might as well settle this now," she said. "Let's see how
good you really are."
Ranma already had her own opinions on that. She'd
watched carefully as the students had performed some Tai Chi
first, stretching and working through a series of katas. She had
already decided that, unarmed, only Shampoo, Yohko, and
potentially Mousse would provide any competition. If Ryoga
were in the club, he might also provide some competition; as
she recalled, he wasn't half-bad. But of course, he'd been
missing since last night.
So Ranma was not surprised at the outcome of the fight.
Shampoo was good -- perhaps even as good as she claimed to
be. She was clearly well trained, while Madoka Ayukawa was
more of a talented but untrained street fighter.
Madoka accepted her defeat gracefully, and stepped back
in line.
"Anyone else try Shampoo?" the Chinese girl asked.
After a moment, Yohko stepped forward and assumed a
position. Shampoo smirked, bowed her head slightly in
acknowledgment, and attacked.
This fight lasted longer -- Yohko was a much closer match
to the purple-haired girl. For a few moments they seemed an
even match. But then, in a flurry of kicks and blows, Shampoo
sent the demon-hunter tumbling across the wet grass.
Yohko bowed in defeat and rejoined the other students.
"Is anyone else?" Shampoo asked again. She stared
intently at Ranma one more time, but Ranma again looked
away.
"Good," Shampoo stated. She walked down the line until
she was in front of Ranma. "Shampoo club leader because
Shampoo is best. Is good you no challenge Shampoo. You no
want to get hurt."
This last was spoken directly at Ranma. Ranma's face
ticked. Moments later, she found herself staring into the
Chinese girl's eyes, then she stepped away from the others and
placed herself a few feet away from the girl, standing casually
with her arms at her sides.
"You challenge Shampoo?" the purple-haired girl asked.
Ranma nodded. Shampoo smirked, and assumed her own
position. "Better," she said. "Is best you learn first thing that
you not strong as Shampoo...."
Ranma lunged forward. Her foot shot up, connecting with
the girls' chin, and Shampoo was laid flat out on the grass.
The others stared at Ranma in shock. They were all good
martial artists -- some of them very good -- but it was
beginning to dawn on them that Ranma was on another level.
Ranma flipped her pigtail over her shoulder and glared
down at Shampoo. Shampoo sat up, one hand rubbing her
head, and stared angrily at the redhead.
Cologne gave the red-haired girl an appraising look.
"You're quite good," she said.
Shampoo stood and stepped forward, but Cologne raised
her hand. "This is not China, child," she said. "Remember the
conditions we agreed to when we came here. Our laws do not
apply."
The anger in Shampoo's eyes faded, and she looked away.
"Yes, Grandmother," she said. Then she glanced back at
Ranma.
"Red-haired girl win. You is club leader now."
"No thanks," Ranma said.
The Chinese girl frowned, and her eyes began to smolder
again. "What you say?"
"I'm not interested in being no dumb club leader," Ranma
said. "I'm not here to teach anyone. I'm only here to learn -- if
you have anything to teach me, that is."
Cologne blinked. "My, aren't we the confident one...."
"Cut the crap!" Ranma snarled. "I've spent my entire life
learning to be the best damned fighter I can possibly be, and I
thought I was, but I can probably name ten people at this
school alone who can apparently beat the shit outta me. I'm
surrounded by demons, demon hunters, alien princesses,
cyborgs, goddesses... and they're all fighting on a level that I
can't even touch!"
Cologne merely nodded; the statement could hardly be
denied. "Your point, child?" she asked.
"My point?" Ranma repeated. "My point is -- do you have
anything to teach me that can give me an edge in a fight with a
demon? Because if not, then I'm wasting my time."
"Funny you should ask that," Cologne said. "Because that
is exactly what I'm here to teach."
She paused, then added, "but show a little patience, child.
This is only the first day. I still need to get a good idea of
everyone's skill level. I want to see some light and
intermediate sparring, while Mano-Sensei and I observe.
Shampoo, you spar with Ukyo, Yohko with Ranma, Mousse
with Tenchi, and Madoka with Akane.
"But before we begin," she said, then paused to stare back
at Ranma. "Child, do you call that a workout outfit? What do
you think this is?"
Ranma glanced down at her clothing. With her favorite
Chinese silk outfits either at home with her other boy clothing
or thrown away, she'd searched through her girl clothing in
vain for something appropriate. After all the excitement of the
morning, she'd been too rushed to borrow anything from Akane
or one of the other girls.
Which explained the black slacks and teal blouse, a nice
enough outfit but not especially suited to kenpo.
"Um," Ranma stammered, "a... a demon ate my clothes...."
***
The crackle and pop of electricity filled the air in
Belldandy's room, and she turned in time to see her dark-
skinned older sister emerge from the television screen.
"Urd!" Belldandy said, her eyes lighting up. She gave her
sister a warm hug, then pulled back. "You really should be
more careful, Urd. What if my roommate were here?"
Urd laughed. "Is Keiichi still worried about people
finding out about you? Bell, this school has a cyborg cat girl, a
demon hunter, a few alien princesses, and I'm not sure what
else yet."
"But only one goddess," Belldandy said, "although you're
right, there are a lot of talented people here, and I don't really
like to be secretive or deceptive... but I promised Keiichi to be
careful, so... if you and Skuld could please also be more
considerate, I'm sure Keiichi would apprecite it."
"Sure sis, whatever."
"So?" Belldandy said. "Can you help poor Ranma, or
not?"
Urd held up a small aqua-colored pill. "Of course!" she
said smugly. "It was a little tricky, but...."
There was a knock on the door. Urd raised her eyebrows,
then instantly shrank to the size of Malibu Barbie (although of
course, Urd was far more beautiful) and hid herself behind a
flowerpot on one of the desks. Belldandy smiled and opened
the door.
"Miss Morinomiya, and Maria Minamino! Good
morning!"
Miss Shizuko Morinomiya of Registration smiled and
stepped into Belldandy's room. "Good morning yourself,
Belldandy," she said. Behind her followed a young girl in a
school uniform -- Maria Minamino, by all appearances.
Belldandy had liked Miss Morinomiya from the moment
they'd met. The older woman had seemed reserved and
business-like at first, but she was actually very kind-hearted.
Her gray eyes always seemed to be smiling, and she was
always willing to listen to other's problems, despite her busy
schedule. She was, Belldandy had quickly realized, the hub
around which the school turned; she was neither Principal nor
Vice Principal, but she was the one that made sure things got
done.
"How is your second day as dorm President?" Miss
Morinomiya asked. "Are you having any problems so far?
Are the construction workers a problem?"
"No, they've been very helpful," Belldandy said. "I was
worried about them being here so early, with all the girls
getting ready, but they've been perfect gentlemen."
Miss Morinomiya nodded. "No other problems, I hope?"
"No, nothing we can't handle," Belldandy said. "Madoka
has been a big help."
"Very good indeed! Is she around, by the way?"
"She's with the martial arts club, I believe," Belldandy
replied.
"Ah. That is all well and good since what I have to say is
for your ears only, and not to leave this room."
Belldandy's expression slowly changed from a bright
smile to a look of polite confusion.
"Belldandy," Miss Morinomiya said, and turned to the
student who had accompanied her. "This is not, as you think,
Maria Minamino. I would like to introduce you to Noel
Minamino, Maria's twin."
Belldandy's confused expression lasted a moment longer,
then her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. "Oh!
Identical twins! You look just like Maria!"
Noel shuffled her feet nervously. "Not identical, no," she
said. "Fraternal."
"Noel has something to show you," Miss Morinomiya
said.
Reluctantly, Noel grasped her hair and pulled. Long
brown hair tumbled forward, revealing short hair underneath.
The long hair was only a wig.
"You see," Miss Morinomiya said, "Noel is Maria's twin
brother."
Belldandy's eyes went wide. The boy's face flushed with
embarrassment as he stared down at the floor.
"Noel desperately wished to follow his sister to Muyami
Academy," Miss Morinomiya said. "I spoke with Noel's
parents, and explained to them that the boy's dorm was
completely full. However, if Noel wished to register as a
girl...."
"Oh, but Miss Morinomiya, that's not right! It's being
deceptive...."
The older woman smiled warmly. "Nevertheless,
Belldandy, it is the only way for Noel to attend school here,"
she said. "I didn't really expect that Noel would accept the
offer, but he's very determined to stay close to his sister. He'll
be rooming with Ranma Saotome."
"That doesn't seem very fair to Miss Ranma," Belldandy
said. "What if she learns that her roommate is a boy?"
Miss Morinomiya's smile grew to a grin.
"I see that you have not yet learned Ranma's secret."
"Secret?" Belldandy said. "I know that she has a curse...."
Miss Morinomiya nodded. "You know of the curse?
Good, good. Then you know why Ranma won't be terribly
upset at these arrangements...."
Belldandy frowned.
"But, Miss Morinomiya," Belldandy said, "Ranma isn't a
boy pretending to be a girl... Ranma is a girl."
"Yes, I suppose that's true, most of the time."
"Well, not all the time, certainly," Belldandy said, "but
still... and surely you don't suggest that Noel use the girl's
toilet?"
"If nobody knows, it shouldn't be a problem," Miss
Morinomiya said.
"But it doesn't seem right...."
"...And Noel can bathe late at night, so as not to disturb
the other residents." Seeing Belldandy's uncertain expression,
Miss Morinomiya added, "Alternatively, he can use the small
restroom in the nurse's office, and you could let him use your
private shower...."
Belldandy continued to frown.
Miss Morinomiya sighed. "I know this is unusual,
Belldandy," she said, "but I've said that Noel could attend
school as a girl, and he's agreed to do so. We just have to make
the best of the situation from here. I do think Ranma is the best
choice of roommates for him, but if you don't agree then
perhaps you could talk to his sister Maria. In any case, Noel
will live in the girl's dorm, and will attend school as a girl.
Exactly how you work out the details I'll leave in your hands,
but I certainly want to stress that Noel's secret should remain a
secret."
Belldandy sighed. "Yes, Miss Morinomiya. I
understand."
***
Ten minutes later Ranma, now wearing loose Chinese silk
pants and a top borrowed from Shampoo, faced off on the lawn
opposite Yohko Mano. The clothing was lavender with a
pattern of dark purple flowers and clearly designed for a girl,
but were otherwise similar enough to Ranma's favored outfits
to please her. She felt much more comfortable and ready for a
good workout.
She'd seen Yohko fight several times now, and had a
healthy respect for her friend's abilities. This would be the first
time they fought each other. Still, Ranma did not recognize
anyone as her equal.
"I hope you realize," Yohko said, "that I cried myself to
sleep last night."
"Really?" Ranma replied, blinking in confusion. "Why's
that?"
"Don't play games with me!" Yohko shot back. "I can't
believe you! The two best available boys I've been able to
find, and my best friend is engaged to both of them!"
"Oh, that," Ranma said.
"How could you be engaged and not tell me? And twice,
no less."
"Listen," Ranma said, "I knew nothing about being
engaged to Ukyo, I swear. Our fathers arranged it when we
were young, and I never knew. As for Ryoga...."
"I don't want to hear your lame excuses," Yohko said. "It
doesn't even bother me that you're engaged to the only two
attractive and apparently unattached boys I've met at this
school. Who cares about them? I've barely known either of
them two days, and I've yet to date either of them. But you --
Ranma, I thought we were friends!"
"We are friends," Ranma said.
"No we're not!" Yohko shouted. "I thought I could trust
you, but you've been lying to me and hiding the truth... how
can I trust you now? How do I know what else you're hiding
from me?"
Ranma looked down at her feet. "Yohko," she said, "I
didn't mean to hurt you...."
"Just shut up and let me pound you!" Yohko growled.
Ranma looked back up. Now here was a way of dealing
with emotion that she understood. She dropped into a
defensive crouch. "Okay," she said. "Whenever you're ready."
"I'm warning you," Yohko said. "I'm not going to go easy
on you. I'm going full out, and not showing any mercy!"
Ranma nodded her head. "Hai. But, I have to warn you
too. I don't like to hit girls."
Yohko smirked. "You like to beat up your boyfriends
then?"
Before Ranma could respond, she attacked.
***
Matsukata Hall janitor Happosai sat down on the front
steps of the dorm and carefully filled and lit his pipe. The fog
slowly drifted away and the sun was ready to peek over the
horizon at any moment, and a bevy of beautiful schoolgirls
were sparring on the nearby lawn. Who could ask for a more
beautiful morning?
He inhaled the warm, sweet smoke and released a series
of light gray rings that sailed up into the fog.
The senior advisor to the martial arts club, who
coincidentally happened to be his wife, pogoed over on her
staff.
"Good morning, Happy," she said.
"Good morning, Cologne," he replied.
"Enjoying an early morning smoke?"
"With such beautiful scenery, how could I not?"
Cologne frowned.
"Isn't there something else you should be attending to?"
she asked, a trifle irritated.
"It can wait," Happosai said. "Besides, I'm not just here to
stare at beautiful girls, you know. I get to do that all day, every
day. But it's not every day I get to watch the daughters of my
two former students working out."
Cologne raised an eyebrow. "Shall I point Akane and
Ranma out for you?"
"You don't have to," the small balding man said. "The
one with the black hair and the yellow gi is Tendo's girl.
Akane, wasn't it? And the redhead in the Chinese outfit must
be Genma's daughter Ranma."
"Very good," Cologne said. "She's not bad is she?"
"I suppose she isn't," the old man said non-committaly.
" Madoka Mano plans to train her in Devil Hunting. She
could make a very good one, I think."
"Perhaps," Happosai said. After a moment's pause, he
added, "You're not teaching any of the Joketzu secrets, are
you?"
"I will if any of them can learn," Cologne said.
"Really?" Happosai looked surprised. "That's not very
much like you, Cologne."
"Oh? How so?"
"I've never known you to do anything that was not for the
good of the amazon tribe."
Cologne chuckled softly. "Well," she said, "perhaps it is."
"What are they paying you?"
"Happy," Cologne said, "you're not suggesting that I can
be bribed, are you?"
"No," Happosai said. "No. I'm sure you'd never call it
bribery. A mutually beneficial agreement, perhaps."
Cologne smirked.
"Let's just say that the Joketzu tribe's immediate as well as
long-term financial concerns are well taken care of."
Happosai chuckled, then blew several more smoke rings.
He took one last puff on his pipe, then dumped the ashes into
the grass and set about cleaning it.
"She's Genma's girl, all right," he said. "I can see his
handprints in her every move. Genma was always my most
promising student, weasely coward though he was. But he was
never quite good enough, and knew it. But his daughter...
hmm, maybe, maybe."
"The new heir to your anything-goes school?"
"What? A girl? Of course not."
"And what is wrong with a woman martial artist?"
Happosai laughed. "This is Japan, woman!" he said. "I
may be Joketzu by marriage, but that doesn't mean I run my
own school by your rules. But that's not the point anyway...
sure, this Ranma is good, but I'm sure her brother is even
better! He will be the heir to the school!"
"Her brother? Why do you think there's a brother?"
"Because I know how Genma thinks," Happosai said. "He
always saw himself as the true heir to my school, and the one
who would father its future heir. It would be the Saotome
School of anything-goes martial arts, one way or another. He
would do anything to achieve that goal... anything.
"Oh, yes, Genma Saotome has a son, all right. I just have
to find him."
***
In a dark room at the head of a long black conference
table, Principal Gendo Ikari sat in a high-backed chair. He
leaned forward, his white-gloved hands interlocked before him,
obscuring his face except for the round, reflective lenses that
covered his eyes. He stared out over his hands at the others
gathered around the table -- scientists, school staff, and
representatives from the Muyami Academy Board of Directors.
The school's board of directors was, of course, composed
of people from Mishima Heavy Industries.
"The student who was possessed?" Principal Ikari asked.
"Ryoga Hibiki," one of the others said. "He no longer
appears to be in the immediate vicinity. We are widening our
search, and concentrating to the North, which is where he
seems to have gone."
"Notify me as soon as he's found," the Principal said.
"Yes, sir. We will try to capture the entity as well."
"Of course. What of the high school incident in
Shinjuku?"
"We've interviewed witnesses," another said. "The girl
who was possessed appears to be a normal Japanese girl with
no special powers. Of the two that fought the demon, the boy
claimed to be an immortal zombie, and reportedly bears the
mark of Wu upon his forehead. The girl is said to be a
powerful demon with three eyes. Her given name is Pai, but
we've been unable to gather any other data on her or her
background. However, the boy is Yakumo Fujii, the son of the
late Professor Satoru Fujii, who spent his life searching for...."
"The Sanji-yanunkara," Principal Ikari said. "An ancient
race of powerful, three-eyed demonic humanoids, yes. I'm
well aware of the Professor's research. Supposedly the
Sanjiyan have all died out, but this does not appear to be the
case. And the boy is her Wu? Interesting indeed."
"Unfortunately," the other said, "we tracked them to Hong
Kong, but they've since disappeared."
"The Sanjiyan are reportedly the most powerful of demon
kind," said the Principal. "We could use that power, but
proceed with caution."
"Yes sir. Now, about the incident that was in the news
last week... it appears that you were correct, and that it was an
actual event, and not just trick photography. We tracked the
boy to the Aotsuki Temple West of here. His name is Ushio
Aotsuki, son of Shigure Aotsuki, the temple priest."
"He has the spear, then?"
"Yes, sir. He appears to carry the Beast Spear with him at
all times. His hair is very short, but that could easily be
explained by a simple metaphysical transformation. As for the
cat-like demon in the film, it's not clear what relationship he
may have with the boy, and no trace of him has been
discovered."
"Not surprising," the Principal said. "He is a demon."
"Apparently," said the man. "We've talked to the boy and
his father, but he's refused to transfer. It's a long commute, and
he doesn't want to leave his friends behind. Also, as you know,
the campus dorms here are full."
"More housing can be built," Ikari said. "Although after
the incidents of last night and this morning, I've already had a
few students expressing a desire to transfer somewhere else."
"Even so, the boy refuses to transfer."
"Talk with Masaki of the Masaki Shrine and Ikeda of the
Kohryu Temple," the Principal said. "One or both may know
Aotsuki well. Also, the boy's current school may need funding
to rebuild after this incident, which we can provide under the
right conditions. As for his friends... if transferring them as
well will make him happy, then do it. He who wields the Beast
Spear is a demon-killer on par with a Devil Hunter herself. He
is not the sort we can afford to overlook."
***
"Feeling better?" Ranma asked.
Akane, Ranma, and Yohko walked back to the girl's dorm,
tired from their workout. The first rays of sunlight streamed
across the campus and students were headed to the cafeteria for
breakfast. The sound of birds chirping in the trees and of
construction workers repairing dormitory walls mixed with the
echoes of half-heard conversations. Ranma caught more than
one reference to the demon attack of the night before.
She'd actually let Yohko tag her a few times during
practice, to let her friend blow off some steam, although some
of those blows were a bit harder than Ranma had anticipated.
As the two headed back to the dorm, along with Akane, Ranma
could still feel a couple of those bruises.
"Yeah, a little," Yohko replied. "You were holding back
against me, though, weren't you?"
"Well," Ranma said, "a little, I guess."
"You're good," Yohko said. "You're going to make a
pretty decent Devil Hunter. But don't forget, we've got kendo
practice next, and if you try to hold back on me there you're
going to get your butt kicked."
Ranma frowned.
"Look, Yohko," Ranma said, "about Ukyo... I honestly
just found out about our engagement last night, and to be
honest, I'm not sure if I'll really believe it until I talk to my
Pop."
For several moments they walked in silence, then Ukyo
spoke. "Okay," she said, "but what about Ryoga? How can
you be engaged to him as well? And I heard that Akane and
Ukyo are fiancees! Surely you don't have two fiancees, or
share Ukyo as a fiancee?"
"Well," Ranma said, "it's kinda complicated...."
"It was just a joke," Akane said. "We were playing a joke
on my cousin Tenchi, that's all."
Yohko's eyes widened. "Really? Is that all?"
Ranma nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess. Akane's not
really engaged to Ukyo, and I'm not really engaged to Ryoga...
thank goodness."
"Well, you might have warned me," Ukyo said. "I
wouldn't have gotten so worked up otherwise. But that's good
to hear. I guess that means Ryoga's still unattached... but I'm
worried about him. With the demon possessing him...."
"Don't worry about Ryoga," Ranma said. "He's a pretty
tough guy...."
"Anyway," Yohko said, "I don't think it's going to work
out between the two of us. I can't even depend on him to arrive
on time for a date. But there's another boy I've met, who has
the most dreamy eyes...."
"Oh?" Akane asked. "What's his name?"
"I don't actually know," Yohko said. "I only saw him last
night. In the fight, I got knocked back, and he was there to
catch me. He was very strong, and concerned for me. He even
knew my name! He had thick black hair, tied back into a
pigtail...." Her voice trailed off. "That's all I know right now,"
she finally added. "Have either of you seen anyone like that? I
need to find out his name!"
Akane and Ranma exchanged glances.
"Can't say that I have," Ranma said truthfully.
"Baka," Akane said under her breath.
***
Noel placed his bags near the desk and looked over his
room.
It was a very nice room -- apart from the large hole in the
outside wall. Two construction workers, standing just outside
the wall on a scaffold, were slowly rebricking the missing
section. The smiled and nodded at Noel as they worked.
Living with a girl, as a girl. What would it be like? He
hoped she never found out the truth! That would be
embarrassing, to say the least.
He glanced at himself again in the mirror on the back of
the door, and smiled. He did look just like his sister, though!
With the supatsu (biker shorts) he was wearing under his skirt,
who would ever know? His disguise was perfect!
Belldandy sat down on the bed nearby and smoothed out
her skirt. Noel stole another sidelong glance before looking
away. She was so beautiful! If only she weren't clearly older
than him....
He stared back at his reflection, and frowned. Now was
not the time to become infatuated with anyone. He was here
for a reason -- to break up his sister's relationship with that
basketball player and convince her to come back home with
him! They were twins, they belonged together! How dare she
leave him behind for some strange guy?
"It still doesn't seem right, having a boy in the girl's
dorm," Belldandy said yet again.
Noel shrugged. "I'm sorry if it causes any problems, Miss
Belldandy," he said. "But I won't let anyone find out, trust me!
I won't cause any problems at all!"
Belldandy's older sister Urd stepped into the room. Noel
wasn't sure exactly when she'd arrived, but the sexy, dark-
skinned, white-haired woman -- she was hardly a girl, Noel
reasoned -- set him on edge. There was something vaguely
predatory about her, something sinister and dangerous. Not
that he thought she was evil, per se, and she seemed friendly
enough, but he was quite certain she was the sort of girl who
enjoyed practical jokes at another's expense.
"Fake hair, huh?" the dark-skinned girl said. She reached
out and snatched his wig from his head.
"Oh, Urd!" Belldandy said.
Urd held the wig up. "Kind of inconvenient, isn't it?" she
said.
"Only a little," Noel replied. He shut and locked the door,
feeling a little exposed. If someone walked in right now, his
secret would be discovered practically before he'd settled in.
He glanced back at the two construction workers and
grimaced. But they continued to work as if he, Urd, and
Belldandy weren't even present.
"I mean, the hairband is a nice touch," Urd said, "it helps
to keep the wig in place, but you don't really expect to sleep
with it on, do you? What about when you shower? It's not
going to be easy to hide like this, you know."
"No one said it would be easy," Noel replied defensively.
"But don't worry, I'm not going to screw up."
"Believe it or not, kid, I can help you with that," Urd said.
She produced a small round pill, with a goofy looking face on
it. "Here," she said, handing it and a glass of water to Noel.
"Swallow this."
Noel looked at Belldandy. Belldandy smiled and nodded.
Noel shrugged and swallowed the pill.
For a moment nothing happened. Then Noel's skin began
to crawl. His head throbbed, and his hands shook. He grabbed
his head and bent over. "What...?" he started to say, when
there was a huge whoosh and a loud rustling sound....
Ten seconds later, his hair had grown several feet.
Noel stood up. His hair now hung past his waist. He
looked over his shoulder, then back into the mirror.
"It's... it's long," he said.
"Viola!" Urd crowed. "No more need for a wig!"
Belldandy clapped her hands. "Oh Urd, that's perfect!"
She produced a pair of scissors, and added, "Come over here,
Noel, and let me trim it. It should be the same length as your
sister's."
"Please," Noel said. He pulled the desk chair over and sat
down in front of Belldandy.
"Is this permanent?" he asked, as Belldandy snipped
away.
Urd laughed. "It's hair, kid. All I did was make it grow.
It'll stay long until you cut it short again."
Noel smiled shyly. "Well, I've never had long hair before;
it'll take some getting used to. But... thanks."
"No problem at all," Urd said. "Now, as for your other
problem...."
"My other problem?"
"...I think I can solve that one too."
"What problem is that?" Noel asked.
"Well, you're still a boy pretending to be a girl, right?"
Noel nodded. "So you don't think that's a problem, living in a
girl's dorm, and with another girl? You plan to take regular
baths don't you?"
"Yes, of course," Noel said. "Miss Morinomiya said I
could take my showers late at night, or use the private shower
in Belldandy's room...."
Urd smirked. "And that solves all of your problems, does
it?"
Belldandy finished cutting his hair, and Noel stood and
stared into the mirror. Once again, he looked just like his
sister, only this time without a wig. He ran his hands through
his hair and wondered how difficult it would be to take care of
this way. It was still very long, hanging nearly to his waist.
The weight and pull of natural hair that long was different from
when it was just a wig.
"In fact," Urd continued, "this problem is far easier to
solve than Ranma's."
Belldandy gasped. "Urd! Surely you're not thinking
of...."
Urd laughed wickedly. "You got it!" She produced an
aluminum soda can and held it up. It was all white, with no
logo or lettering, but with a pattern of pink and blue symbols in
various sizes -- the symbols for male and female, in fact.
"Ta-Da!" Urd exclaimed. "Hormonga, Talruuto-kun's
special hormone cola!" She stared at the can and added, "That
little twerp magician owed me big-time and this is how he
repaid me -- by giving me tons of this stuff. I've got something
like 70 cases of it right now." Then she brightened up. "But
it's certainly something little Noel could use, don't you think?
And if that's not enough," she produced another bottle of pills,
"here we have Urd's special all-day version of the same thing,
in a handy pill form! Did I come prepared, or what?"
"Urd! That's deceptive and... and just plain wrong!"
Urd smirked impishly. "Isn't it, though?" she said. She
laughed, shrugged, and added, "But as you've already pointed
out, Bell, so is having a boy living among the girls. Think of it
as the lesser of two deceptions, if you like."
"What are you talking about?" Noel asked.
"But, Urd...."
"No buts, sister dear. I listened carefully to what that
woman said. Noel is going to live and attend school as a girl,
but the details are up to you. So? The fact that he isn't a girl is
a pretty big detail, don't you think? What's your solution?"
Belldandy frowned, then nodded reluctantly.
"What?" Noel asked. "What are you talking about?"
"Noel," Belldandy said, "are you certain you want to
attend school as a girl?"
Noel nodded his head. "I wouldn't be here, dressed like
this, if I weren't."
"Well then," Belldandy continued, "my sister has
something that will make it a lot easier for you to do that."
Urd pulled the tab on the cola can. It popped and then
fizzed quietly. "Here, kid," she said. "Drink up."
Noel glanced at Belldandy, who again nodded
encouragingly. He took the can, sniffed it, stared into its
depths, noting a clear liquid like Sprite or a seltzer.
He shrugged, and drank it.
It tasted wonderful.
Moments later, Noel began to tremble and shake. His
whole body felt boneless and rubbery, as if he were made of
jello instead of flesh and bone. He felt a little queasy too, but
the feeling passed, and in moments he felt perfectly normal
again.
Well, almost normal. His shirt brushed against his chest
in a way that felt different, and when he glanced down the
reason for this was obvious.
"I've got breasts!" she exclaimed.
"That's not all you've got," Urd said with a snicker. "Just
call me pharmacist to the gender challenged."
"But... but this is impossible!"
"You think? One demonstration is worth a thousand
words, kid."
Noel placed a hand between her legs, confirming the rest
of Urd's statement.
Belldandy smiled. "There, Noel," she said. "Now you
really can attend school as a girl."
"But..." Noel said. "But I don't want...."
"Don't worry, kid," Urd said. "The effects of the cola
wear off in an hour or two at most. It's just for those situations,
like a hot bath, where your actual gender is more of a problem.
Now, these pills here are a 24-hour version, if needed. Of
course, if you want to be like that for a full year, I can come up
with something...."
"No!"
"Well then," Urd said, and handed over the bottle. "I'll
have a case or two of Hormonga delivered to your dorm by this
afternoon. Kamisama knows, I've got enough of the stuff. In
the meantime, be careful with these pills -- never mix them
with Hormonga for starters, and the dosage should never
exceed one pill every 24 hours, you know! Otherwise, I can't
guarantee what might happen!"
***
Once again Yohko scored a direct hit with her bokken,
driving Ranma to her knees on the mat. The red-haired girl
winced at the blow, but scrambled to her feet and fell into a
ready stance, holding her wooden blade before her. From the
safety of the stands Akane laughed and clapped, cheering
Yohko on.
"Guess it's time to get serious," Ranma said through
gritted teeth. Yohko laughed out loud.
"Serious?" she said. "You've been 'trying to get serious'
for the last ten minutes, Ranma! Maybe you were holding back
when we sparred hand to hand, but you've been going all out
here and have yet to score a hit on me! Could it be that the
great Ranma Saotome is not such a great swordswoman?"
Ranma growled low in her throat, apparently having no
better comeback. She leaped forward with another good -- but
not great -- attack.
Ranma wasn't exactly clumsy with the bokken -- Ranma
was rarely clumsy with anything physical, Yohko realized --
but neither was she well versed in swordsmanship. Despite her
high calling as a martial artist and her years of travelling and
training, it was primarily unarmed combat that Ranma had
learned. With a sword in hand, she was good, but no match for
a real swordswoman. And if Yohko Mano knew anything, it
was how to swing a sword.
Not that she was necessarily the best in the class.
Cologne's granddaughter Shampoo was as good with a sword
as she was unarmed, and another redhead, Hikaru Shidou, was
very good as well. But there were only four present that
Yohko thought could really give her a run for her money. The
first, Tatewaki Kuno, had tried to declare himself head of the
club. After some raving about his proposed rules for dating
Akane Tendo -- Yohko had no idea what that was about, but
would ask Akane later -- he'd been beaten in a tightly-fought
battle with Tenchi Masaaki. Yohko was quite impressed with
both of their skills, although Kuno seemed remarkably skilled
on offense and remarkably careless on defense, making him
dangerous but not entirely difficult to defeat.
The third student that caught Yohko's eye was Utena
Tenjou. She seemed more of a natural talent than a disciplined
student, but that talent was immense. Yohko wasn't entirely
sure if even Tenchi could defeat her in a given match, but
Utena had not challenged him for leadership of the club.
The fourth formidable opponent was, of course, the
advisor, Masaaki-Sensei. Yohko had not yet seen him fight,
but she assumed that Tenchi's grandfather and teacher was the
most skilled swordsman present.
Yohko again struck Ranma hard, driving her back.
Swearing loudly, Ranma angrily tossed her weapon aside.
"Is there a problem, Ranma-chan?" Masaaki-Sempai
asked.
"It's this stupid weapon!" Ranma growled. "It only gets in
the way! I'm faster without it -- with just my bare hands, I can
take on anyone no matter what weapon they wield!"
The elder Masaaki raised an eyebrow. "Well, you
certainly sound confident enough. Perhaps you could
demonstrate this ability to me?" He spread his arms, bokken
gripped casually in his right.
Ranma looked a little less certain, then shrugged. "Sure,
okay," she said. She stalked towards the advisor and took up a
battle-ready stance. "Whenever you're ready, Sensei," she said.
Yohko sighed. Her friend was such an idiot sometimes.
Mr. Masaaki just stood there watching her. After a
moment he raised his hand and motioned her forward, inviting
her to make the first move. For several moments Ranma
continued to wait, but finally grew impatient. With a snarl she
sprung up and forward, snapping her foot out in a viscous
flying kick....
...And was knocked back to the mats. She rolled with the
fall and landed on her feet, and immediately launched another
attack.
After being knocked down for the sixth time without
landing a blow, Ranma stood and regarded Tenchi's
grandfather appraisingly. The point had been made -- Yosho
Masaaki was a brilliant martial artist in his own right, and his
weapon gave him considerable reach over an opponent like
Ranma. Of course, Mr. Masaaki had considerable reach over
the rather petite redhead even barehanded, but Yohko's friend
rarely seemed to recognize her own weaknesses.
"You're not bad, old man," Ranma said.
"Indeed?" Masaaki-Sempai replied. He scratched his chin
idly with the tip of his bokken. "Perhaps that's the reason I'm
the advisor of this club? I thought they were just being kind to
me in my old age....
"Now then," he continued, turning back to the class, "this
is the Kendo Club, and although I am only advisor, I really
must insist that students practice armed combat, with bokkens,
rather than unarmed combat. Now, if everyone is ready, I'd
like to start with some basic moves. Is Kuno-kun conscious
yet?"
"Not yet, sir," Utena called out. "Tenchi clobbered him
pretty good I think."
"Indeed?" the advisor replied. "I assumed he had a thicker
skull than that. Well then, Tenchi? From the top, as I've
taught you...."
Ranma retrieved her bokken and fell in step beside
Yohko, watching Tenchi carefully. Yohko grinned, noting the
intense concentration in her friend's eyes. The girl had an ego
the size of Tokyo, but she also worked hard and learned
quickly, which was good. If Ranma was going to hunt demons
along side Yohko Mano, then she needed to learn fast.
***
Karasumaro wiped the sweat from his forehead and
paused to look at their handiwork. The dorm wall, which had
been a complete mess only hours ago, was now nearly as good
as new. All that was left was to let the cement set and then
install a new window.
"Not bad for a few hour's work, eh, Fujitsune?" he said to
his companion. The other man shoved his yellow construction
hat up on his head and chomped on his cigar, then took a quick
drink of soda before setting the can back down.
"Not bad at all," Fujitsune replied. "Don't forget we got
that hole on the other side to take care of. If we hurry, we can
get it done before lunch."
"No sweat," Karasumaro replied. "Speaking of sweating,
I'm getting thirsty. Mind sharing that soda of yours?"
Fujitsune shrugged and handed the can over. There wasn't
much left, and Karasumaro downed it in one swift gulp. He
blinked, and looked at the can in surprise.
"What is this stuff?" he asked. "It's pretty damn good!"
A wave of near-nausea washed over him. For a moment
his skin crawled, and then the feeling passed.
Karasumaro glanced down at his chest. There seemed to
be a great deal more of it, all of a sudden. He glanced at the
large, muscular female next to him, still wearing a construction
hat and chomping on a cigar. Then he inspected the soda can a
little more carefully.
"Found this on the desk just inside the room, did you?" he
-- or rather she -- asked. Her voice was not quite as deep and
husky as she was used to it being.
Fujitsune nodded. "Sorry," she said. "Wasn't really
thinking, I guess."
"What did the dark-skinned one say? Only good for a few
hours?"
Fujitsune nodded, and chomped on her cigar a moment in
thought. "Lucky thing too," she said. "I'd hate to have to
explain this to the missus."
Karasumaro began to gather her tools together. "I tell ya,"
she said, "sometimes this place gives me the creeps. If it
weren't for the money...."
"I hear you, buddy, I hear you."
***