Thryth wrote:

   "I told you, Pop," Ranma said.  "I can't teach you,
I didn't really learn it, it just happened!."  Ranma
frowned, he hated getting knowledge like that.  He
didn't understand the basis of it, and couldn't repeat
the information to anybody.
   He knew how to inact change forms between most any

delete "inact" since it isn't a word

animal from the size of a mouse to the size of a large
bear.  He just didn't understand how it happened, and
hadn't taken the chance to try out these new tricks to
see if he could reverse engineer the knowledge.

I doubt Ranma or his Kitsune benefactor think in terms of
"reverse engineering".

   At the moment he was staying in one of his six
"true" forms, trying to remember exactly what
happened.  He remembered the demon, he remembered
some...thing entering him, her at the time, and then a
blur of images followed by his pop splashing him with
hot water.
   There was a certain degree of urgency involved
here, something about that demon and the end of the
worlds that he had to do something to stop.  It had
been all so clear for a moment and then, gone, a
confused jumble.
   "Sirs, perhaps there is help in the surrounding
villages," the Guide suggested.  "The Amazon elders
have great stores of knowledge about Jusenkyo."
   Ranma nodded politely, that wouldn't help his
situation.  Jusenkyo was a shapechanging magic, but
something else had made him a natural shapechanger,
something the curse would usually just roll right off
of.  Of course, the curse had made one parting shot,
which is why Ranma had six forms he considered true
and natural rather than the standard three for a
hengeyokai.
   "Amazons," Genma scoffed.  "How would a bunch of
women help us?"
   "Oh very powerful, sirs, very strong," the Guide
explained.  "They have much wisdom gathered over three
thousand years."
   "Sounds good," Ranma said.  "An' then maybe on the
way I can figure out what the trick to this is."
~I'll need to learn more, I might need to teach one of
the others.~
   Ranma paused as he tried to remember what others.
Whatever that spirit had done before she died, and
Ranma was sure she died, he wished she could have gone
about it in a better way.
   There is no way Ranma could, or would unless
desparate, teach someone the same way.  The most he

desperate

would impart was a basic instinct to such between the
natural forms.  If they wanted to become master
shapeshifters, well, they'd just have to wait until he
learned how he did what he did.
   Ranma did NOT like instant ability like this.  It
completely messed his ability to judge what was
possible.
   "What are saying boy," Genma demanded.  "We don't

you saying

have time to be stopping so you can sow some oats."
   "Ehh?  I know why I want to hurry, why do you?"
Ranma asked.  "Never mind, Pop, there'll be food
there."
   "What are we doing just standing there boy?" Genma
demanded.  "Get moving to that village!"

************

   Ranma walked behind Genma, so he could keep an eye
on the old fart, and practice a little undisturbed.
First thing she had discovered was that her male and
female body's were in approximately the same physical
condition, though SHE was faster and HE was stronger.
   It was also apparent to him that exercise in one
form did not necessarily carry over to the other
except in small amounts.  This was both good and bad.

It was good in that he always had a tremendous reserve
of endurance to fall back on.  It was bad in the fact
that that meant he'd have to train in both forms
equally hard.
   That meant twice the amount of work for the same
increase.  Or he could ignore one side and just
improve the other, but that would negate the benefit
of having a reserve of endurance.  She'd have to see
if there would be similar problems for maintaining her
power in any of her other forms as well, but it felt
like it was mainly a male/female problem.
   That wasn't the only change, he/she felt as she
changed behind her father.  Ranma's chi control was
much better and her chi had been heightened greatly.

Switching back and forth between male pronouns and
female pronouns can cause problems.  Here for example
it is unclear whether all her forms have the chi-increase
elemental hoo-ha.

There was also a very strong elemental nature to her
aura, and not of any one particular element either.
He'd have to play around with his chi a little to
figure out what he could and couldn't do now.
   Then there was the amusing fact that her yang chi
became dominant in her female form, while her yin chi
turned dominant in her male form.  Apparently the
universe had a sense of humor.
   That brought up the last major change Ranma could
identify.  SHE wasn't having a hissy fit about being a
girl.  This was further pointed out by the fact that
she was using the term hissy fit in her thoughts.
Really, this form felt just as natural to her as her
male form.
   She did manage to grumble a little at that, voicing
some remembered dislike of any trace of femininity.
The universe really did have a sense of humor.
   She was brought out of her reverie in time to note
her father brush a branch out of the way and get
drenched with some old rainwater that had apparently
been sitting on the large leaves.
   "Good one, Pop," Ranma smirked as the village came
into sight.  The panda glared at him and then started
a tirade that was obviously centered on Ranma being
female.   "Quiet Pop, we're getting into town."
   She looked around and noted some sort of tournament
was going on.  She scanned the crowd and noted a bench
full of food, and was about to approach it when she
noted the sign on the bench marking it as "First
Prize."
   "Huh," Ranma said, not bothering to realize that
she shouldn't know Chinese of any dialect.  "I'll have
to look for food elsewhere."
   Ranma paused as her recently enhanced chi senses
picked up on something in the area.  She hadn't found
it yet when she noted one of the contestants, and
behind her in the crowd.  She could find that big chi
aura in a moment, probably an elder and unsuitable,
but...
   "Two and three," Ranma whispered, only barely aware
of what he meant by that.  Then she frowned.
"Ohhh...she did NOT just call me that."

************

   Cologne turned as she felt the strong chi that had
entered the village.  It wasn't entirely human,
seemingly tied into the elements that made up the
world and life.  Finding the outsider was the nearest
thing to instantaneous she had ever accomplished.
   The red head started for the first prize table,
making Cologne's mouth quirk up.  Perhaps the spirit
folk, or whatever she was, would give her
granddaughter a taste of humility.  That was not to be

however, as the girl stopped and shrugged.  Cologne
sighed for the lost chance at some amusement and
continued to watch the stranger.
   The girl suddenly started looking about the area as
she felt Cologne, or perhaps some other of the elders.
 Then the girl's eyes stopped, focused on the
tournament and the crowd beyond.  She blinked a
moment, and Cologne watched her mouth three words in
Japanese.
   Looking down the line of the girl's sight, Cologne
found Shampoo awaiting her next round, and behind her
Mousse cheering her on.
   ~What interest does that girl have in my
granddaughter,~ Cologne wondered as Shampoo stepped up
to her next, and final round.  Then fate stepped in.

************

   "Looks like I finally get to drive your high bred
skull into your neck, Xian Pu," the giant was saying
with a smirk.
   "In your dreams, Dou Lu," Shampoo answered back.
   "You can't possibly beat Xian Pu, Dou Lu," Mousse
declared.

Mousse wasn't there, of course.

   "And don't even THINK about sending that puny
wannabe warrior BOYFRIEND Mustcache or whatever,"
Ranma shouted in Chinese.  "Ain't no way HE can come
close to beating me!"
   "Sirs, you is very crazy no?" the Guide asked as

Comma after "crazy".

************

   Doll watched smuggly at the insensate pair of

smugly

And who the heck is "Doll"?  That's not what you called Shampoo's
opponent.



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