You know, when I started this, I got a few comments that it shoulda been
Blackarachnia inside Ranma rather then Airazor. However, oddly enough, it
turns out that Venus Terzo, was not only the voice of Airazor, but is also
the voice of Ranma's female half in the dub.
Neat coincidence, yes?
Anyway, detailed C&C, MiSTings, big gobs of cash and the girls from Hooters
are all welcome.
Agreeable Komodo
He who bought it, supplied it.
Just say yes to prophylactics.
"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is
shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods."
-- Albert Einstein
Previous chapters at:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Keep/5268/Fanfic/index.html
*********************
Ranma was not happy when she found out what Ukyou had done
"Aw man, Ucchan!" She exclaimed as she examined her reflection in the shiny
metal.
"I'm sorry Ranchan," Ukyou said plaintively, but I hit the wrong button and
then, well. . .it just seemed appropriate somehow."
"Appropriate!" Ranma exclaimed. "I'm a girl!"
<And what's wrong with that?>
"I'm sorry Ranchan," Ukyou apologized once more.
"You shut up," Ranma growled.
"Well excuse me," Ukyou said, obviously offended.
"No! I wasn't talking to you Ucchan!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah-I mean-"
<Give it up,> Airazor said, sounding like she was trying very hard not to
laugh. <She's got you.>
Ranma gave a frustrated snarl as she went back to examining her reflection.
She did look like a feminine version of herself though, even with the red
hair.
"Ya know, the more I look at it, the more I gotta admit, it does seem
appropriate somehow."
"Told you," Ukyou said, sounding pleased as Ranma upended a bucket of hot
water over her head and then proceeded to get dressed.
"I still don't like it," Ranma grumbled as they covered the machinery back
up. "I'm a man, a man should have a man's body."
"Look at it this way adopted brother o' mine," Ukyou pointed out as they
walked back towards the house, "now you can at least go out in public in your
cursed form."
"I just want to know how to explain this to the Tendos."
"When they entered the dining room however, they found that explanations were
unessacary. A very large panda was sitting at the table reading a newspaper.
"Don't tell me," Nabiki said dryly. "You turn into a duck and she turns into
a cat."
********************
"So your parents are dead?" Asked Nabiki. She, Ukyou, Ranma and Akane were
walking to school. Genma, apparently set on staying in Nerima for a while,
had enrolled both Ukyou and Ranma in Furikan, the local high school.
Actually, Nabiki and Ukyou were walking, Akane had blown up at Ranma and
chased him down a side street several blocks back.
"Yeah," Ukyou replied. "Mom died when I was a little girl and my dad broke
his neck when his horse was startled and threw him. I don't have any other
family so Uncle Genma took me with him when he and Ranma moved on after the
funeral and raised me as his own daughter."
"Ranma's your cousin?" Nabiki asked.
"I'm not sure. I know my father and Uncle Genma knew each other, but I'm not
sure how. Uncle Genma won't speak of it. I guess there was some bad blood
between them."
"So tell me about Ranma," Nabiki said, changing the subject. "What's he
like?" Ukyou shrugged.
"What you see is pretty much what you get. He's loyal to his friends,
believes in pursuit of the Art and his honor." She smiled wistfully. "He's
the best brother a girl could ask for."
"Really," Nabiki said dryly as they drew in sight of Furikan. Gathered just
beyond the gates was a crowd of boys in various sports uniforms, some armed,
some not. "Hm, looks like the show hasn't started yet."
"What show?" Ukyou asked as Nabiki leaned against a tree and glanced at her
watch.
"Just wait."
It was perhaps five minutes later that Ranma and Akane came running up the
street, shouting insults at each other.
"Just stay out of my way!" Akane shouted as they ran past.
"Gladly!" Ranma shouted back as a cry went up from the crowd of boys.
"There she is!" several dozen male voices cried.
<I don't believe I'm seeing this,> Airazor said sharply as Ranma leapt to the
top of the school wall and crouched there, watching as Akane bashed her way
through the suitors. <Where's the teachers? Someone could get hurt>
"You mean like them?" Ranma asked as Akane delivered a devastating spin kick
that left no one within its reach standing.
<Yes. . .what kind of place is this?>
Ranma didn't answer as he jumped to the ground, seeing that the battle was
over.
"What's this all about?"
"You there!" Ranma turned at the sound of the voice to see a tall young man,
a bokken in hand. "You are being awfully familiar with Akane Tendo."
<"Awfully familiar"? All you did was ask her a question!>
"Who're you?" Ranma demanded.
<A guy with a wooden sword and from the look in his eyes, a fairly loose grip
on reality>
"This," Akane said, evidently unimpressed, "is-" She was cut off by the young
man.
"No gentle Akane,"
<She bashes her way through a bunch of kids and he calls her gentle?>
"though I know you wish to introduce me, I will make my own." The man raised
his sword. "I am Upperclassman Tatawake Kuno, the blue thunder of Furikan
High," Overhead, lightning flashed and they heard the rumble of thunder.
<How the slag does he bloody do that?>
"age, seventeen."
Ranma would have liked to answer her, when she started rambling about
metahuman principals and unused mutated DNA, whatever those were.
"Will you shut up please?" Ranma asked her.
<Sorry.>
"Thank you," Ranma said and then found himself staring at the bisnuess end of
a bokken.
"Speaking to your familiar, sorcerer?" Kuno asked. Ranma was quiet for a
moment, and then decided to try a bluff.
"Yeah, I'm one of them really powerful immartial sorcerers and if you don't
get out of my way, I'll, uh, turn you into a toad."
"Really?"
"Yeah, so get out of my way and I'll forget this ever happened."
"I think not. For it is the duty of the righteous to slay the unjust and the
depraved, and you, sorcerer, are most definitely both!" With that, Kuno leapt
at Ranma, swinging the Bokken wildly.
<Well, I guess you oughta turn him into a toad now oh mighty sorcerer.> Ranma
wanted to answer, but he was busy dodging the sword thrusts and settled for
directing a mental image of just what Airazor could do with herself at her.
Akane, meanwhile, was staring in amazement as Ranma suddenly did a backflip
and Kuno stopped cold, wobbled a bit and then fell over backwards. Without
breaking stride, Ranma flipped to his feet and headed inside. Running over to
Kuno, Akane saw that imprints of Ranma's shoes marked a path up his body,
ending at his forehead.
'Kami, what speed," she marveled.
********************
Three months later. . .
"No. I don't want to."
<I thought it was your heart's desire to destroy this Ranma Saotome, yes.>
"But not anymore. Don't make me, not after what happened at the village. I
can't take anymore."
<-you made a deal, and now you must fulfill your end. Is that not the way of
honor?>
"I. . .Yes."
<Then grasp your weapon, my young friend, he is nearer with each step you
take. Oh yes. . .>
********************
Six months later.
Ranma sighed in relief as he slipped into the furo. What a hectic year it had
been. Ryouga and Xian Pu had both showed up looking to kill him for one
reason or another.
At the moment, both were nursing their wounds. Xian Pu at wherever it was she
lived at, and Ryouga here at the Dojo where he turned out to be a student.
When he showed up. It seemed he had a terrible sense of direction. Airazor
said it was just because his sense of direction was oriented on the south
pole rather then the north pole unlike everybody else.
Xian Pu was another matter entirely. Even though her snide, sarcastic
comments got on his nerves, she was a treasure throve of information and even
though Ukyo was always ready to listen, it was Airazor who understood.
Because she had been there when whatever was troubling him had occurred.
"Maybe I should marry her," he said out loud.
<Marry who?>
"Just thinking maybe I should marry you," he said. "You've always been there
and you understand me even though nobody else does."
<Well Ranma, I'm flattered, but the honeymoon might be a problem, since you'd
have to do all the giving and receiving.> Ranma felt his cheeks turn red.
"Must you?" he grumbled. Her reply was laughter.
********************
Jusenkyo. . .
Megatron, his hands still spattered with the blood of the guide growled as he
stood over the spring. At the bottom was the body of Airazor, the Maximal
witch.
"Somehow she's used the parasite drone the same as I have. Yes, and I cannot
find it so it seems now she now has an alternate body, same as I do."
Extending the grappling line, Megatron carefully lowered it into the water
and fished out the Maximal's body, being equally careful not to let any of
the water get on him. His research had not been clear on exactly how much of
the spring water was required for the curse, but he had no desire to be
touched by the Spring of Drowned Bird Lady in any way, shape, or form. After
placing the body on the cart, Megatron made his way to the other spring, the
one where his body lay and repeated the process, being equally careful. The
human's body was still useful and he wasn't ready to give it up just yet.
After placing the body on the cart, he went to each spring and carefully took
about a bucketful from each. An army of creatures might not be a bad idea and
if nothing else, the scientist in him wanted to examine the water.
Finally finished, he pushed the cart back up the hill to where the guide's
shack was and entered. Such Spartan living, he noted as he placed a bomb on
the table and set it for twenty minutes. On his way out, he looked down as
something brushed his leg.
Looking down, he saw the human, the guide. It's arms wrapped around his leg,
a pleading look on it's face.
"Still alive?" Megatron asked, genuinely astonished.
"Please sir," it whispered. "Must not take spring water."
"I don't do it because I must," Megatron agreed. "But because I can." With
that he raised his foot and brought it down on the human's head, triggering a
squishing noise.
Megatron laughed softly as he headed down the road, the cart trailing behind.