Neko-phobia Part 4:  Discoveries

by David Eddy <dje@progress.com>


A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2.

The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the property of Takahashi Rumiko
and her licensees.


See the author's notes at the end for credits and rambling.

C&C is welcomed!  Please!


     =======================================================


     
     
     Summer rain hammered on the canvas overhead as Cologne watched
the last of the workmen pack up his tools and leave.  They had
started at sun-up this morning, and now that the rain had come they
had stopped work and were going home to their wives and children.
     Especially in this modern age, simple money was able to
command impressive performance from even such an honour-bound race
as the Japanese.  Her reserves were substantial, and contacts she
had made months ago were very cooperative.  She was well satisfied
with the progress being made.  They would be open for business
again within a week.
     Of course, the insurance money would help.  That had been
arranged through Nabiki and Cologne smiled to herself at the
delicious irony of it all.  Nabiki had persuaded the valuer to
quote an inflated figure so her commission would be higher... and
the extra money would almost cover the extortionate bonus rates she
was having to pay for rapid, quality work.
     All in all, considering that the restaurant building had
almost been completely destroyed, things were going pretty well.
     The same could not be said for her great grand-daughter,
however.  The girl seemed to have given up.  That boy Ranma's
pronouncement yesterday had taken the heart out of her.
     She shook her head over the folly of children.  Such little
things concerned them.  They prattled about love as though it
mattered, and they had no strength or fibre.  But what was love
against the strength of the tribe bloodlines, or duty?  The tribe
was everything, its traditions and laws were its soul, and the
members of the tribe were its cells.  The cells had to contribute
to the well-being of the body.  If they did not, the body was
weakened, and those cells had to be brought into line... or cut
out.
     Ranma was a member of the tribe, as Shampoo's betrothed, but
he had consistently refused to cooperate.  Now *there* was a child
she could respect.  Even though he wrong-headedly followed the
wrong path, he followed it resolutely, barely wavering.
     But now he had infected Shampoo, and that was serious.
Shampoo must be turned back to the path of right, and hopefully
Ranma as well.  But... Ranma could easily be too dangerous to bring
into the body of the tribe.  He might have to be cut out.
     Shampoo's presence registered with Cologne well before her
ears detected her soft footfalls.  "Great grandmother, what are you
doing?"
     
     *    *    *
     
     Ranma and Akane were kissing.  Ranma's hands roamed slowly
over Akane's back; Akane had her arms draped over Ranma's
shoulders, having dropped them from around his neck.
     Finally Ranma broke the kiss, dropping little pecks onto
Akane's lips, nose, and forehead before resting his head on top of
hers and tightening his arms in a hug.  As he moved up, Akane
pulled her arms back until her hands were wrapped around his neck
again, fingers interlaced.
     "Mmmm.  I love you, Ranma."
     "I love you too, Akane."
     "I hope you won't misunderstand, but... I don't want..."
     "To get married immediately?  You'd rather wait?"
     Akane pulled her head back from his chest and smiled up at
him, nodding.  "At least until after high school.  I'd like to wait
until after college, but I don't think our parents would allow
that."
     "To tell you the truth, I don't know that *I'd* want to wait
that long either, Akane.  Five years?"
     Akane sighed.  "Yes."  She pulled on his neck.  "Ooh, I've
waited so long for this..."
     They kissed some more for a time, then relaxed, with Akane
sitting comfortably next to Ranma with her head on his chest; he
had his arm about her waist and rested his head on hers.
     "So, will you break off the engagement with Ukyou tomorrow?"
asked Akane.
     "I'd like to, Akane, but I can't.  Not yet."
     Akane jerked back.  "What do you mean?!  After all this, you
*still* don't want to let her go!?"  Her hands bunched and she
began to pound his chest.
     Ranma caught her fists.  "Akane, wait!  Let me explain!"
     Akane frowned up at him.  "This'd better be good."
     He nodded.  "You know that oyaji engaged me to both you and
Ukyou, of course.  Um... forgive me for being blunt... the problem
is honour.  He accepted the dowry from Ukyou's father, and has
never made a move to rescind the engagement.  From shortly after
that day, Ukyou swore vengeance.  And now, it's been over ten
years.  Oyaji has had the dowry for all that time.  Ukyou, for a
long time, all but destroyed her life in pursuit of revenge.  It's
only since she came here that she's begun living something
resembling a normal life."
     "So, what's this got to do with us?"
     "With *us*, very little; with me, everything.  If I just break
off the engagement then I'm discarding my father's word and in
doing so sacrifice my honour absolutely.  If I do that then except
for you, Akane, I might as well be dead, since I don't think I'd be
able to find anybody willing to learn from somebody like me if I
did that.  Look at what happened to Happousai."  He shook his head
sadly.  "I don't want to end up like him.
     "Oyaji could break off the engagement easily enough... *if* he
can return the dowry, which I doubt because that yatai is long
gone, and *if* he can find a way of making reparations that Ukyou
and her family will accept, then he might even escape with what
little honour he has intact."  He took a deep breath and sighed.
"But I can't think of a way of making him even realise that he has
to do this, let alone find a way of making restitution.  Oh, if
money would do it I could work with Nabiki easily enough and get
some," he added with a shudder, "but... something tells me that
Ucchan is going to want something other than cash.  Besides..."
     There was silence for a time, and Akane pulled him with her
arms, her eyes soft.  He let himself be pulled forward and rested
his head on her shoulder.  "Besides what?"
     "Ucchan is my oldest friend.  I don't want to lose her
friendship if that's at all possible.  I love you, and want to
marry you and carry on the family line.  But I love her as well, as
a friend.  I hope you understand."
     Akane nodded against his head, her eyes leaking slowly.  "I
do.  Oh, Ranma... I'd never thought it through before, you know,
from your point of view I mean.  I never thought that this was the
reason why you never broke off the engagement, even though you
*said* that Ukyou was only a friend.  Oh my god, what are we going
to do?"
     Ranma shrugged and pulled back.  "We'll have to think of
something.  No matter what we do, though, it'll probably need lots
of money."  He shuddered again.  "I guess I'd better have a word
with Nabiki."
     "*We'd* better have a word with Nabiki, you mean."
     "I guess so.  Yes.  Thank you."
     "What's wrong?  You shiver each time you talk about Nabiki.
Is my sister so bad?"
     He shook his head.  "It's not her.  I quite like her, even
though she makes me nervous sometimes.  You know, like in the
bathroom earlier today..."
     "I'm sorry about that, Ranma."
     "If I didn't know better, I could have sworn...  Eh?  What?"
     Akane shook her head.  "Nothing.  Then what is it with
Nabiki?"
     "It's what she'll probably have me do.  Frankly, Akane, the
quickest way I can think of to make money is to pose for hentai
photographs."  He shuddered again.  "In my female body, of course."
     "Oh!"  Akane pulled back and took his face in her hands.
"We'll have to see if we can avoid that, don't you think?"  And she
pulled his face to hers, and kissed him.
     A knock sounded loudly on the door.  "Akane, Ranma, Kasumi
says dinner will be ready shortly."
     Ranma tried half-heartedly to pull away but Akane had her arms
about his neck again.  If anything, she deepened the kiss.  Ranma
stopped resisting and started to cooperate, hesitantly at first and
then enthusiastically.
     Nabiki knocked again.  "Akane?... Ranma?... Are you in there?"
     After another long pause, during which Ranma and Akane really
got into their kissing, Nabiki slowly opened the door.  She gasped,
and Ranma was treated to the unique sensation of kissing someone
who was trying not to smile.
     "Well, well, well," said Nabiki triumphantly.  "*Finally.*"
     Akane broke the kiss.  "Please don't tell father or Ranma's
father, Nabiki.  We want to keep this between ourselves for a
little while."
     Nabiki's face fell.  "W-what?  All the bets riding on this,
and *I* *can't* *collect*?"
     "I'm sorry, oneechan, but can you imagine what our fathers
would do if they found out?  We want to married when *we* decide."
     Nabiki shook her head ruefully.  "You know," she said to
herself, "I don't think anybody'd believe me if I told them how
today had gone."  She turned to go.  "Oh, by the way, Kasumi says
dinner will be ready soon."  She closed the door.
     The two teenagers sat back and began straightening their
clothes.  "What's wrong with her, I wonder?" asked Akane.
     Ranma snorted, trying not to grin.  "She heard me talking with
Kasumi earlier.  I let her listen, then asked her politely to keep
her lip zipped.  You should have seen her face."  He gave in and
smiled broadly.
     Akane stood up, also smiling.  "And what were you talking to
Kasumi about?"
     "Mostly about that cat towel she gave me this afternoon."
     Akane grinned.  "That was funny."
     "You would think so!"  Ranma's fingers darted out to lightly
brush her floating ribs.  Akane jumped.
     "Don't tickle!" she said, laughing.
     Ranma smirked, then stood up.  "She's going to help me get
over this problem I have with cats."
     Akane stared at him as the implications sunk in.  "Oh!
Ranma... will you be okay?"
     "She says she's getting help from Doctor Tofuu, so I hope so.
I told her I'll cooperate, and that I trust her to do the right
thing."  He stepped towards the closed door and held out his hand
to her.  Akane took it and interlaced her fingers with his.
     "Tofuu-sensei?  But he hasn't been around for ages, not
since..."
     "Let's go and have dinner.  We wouldn't want oyaji to get it
all."
     
     *    *    *
     
     "I shall not do it, great-grandmother!  I've tried to get
Ranma to marry me, and he would not!  Now he loathes me!  I will
not lower myself any longer!"
     "Shampoo!  You will do as I say or you will be punished!"
     "No!  I'm *tired* of Japan, I'm *tired* of these arrogant
people, I'm *tired* of their rotten language, I'm *tired* of living
poorly, I'm *tired* of being rejected.  I want to go *home*!"
     Cologne sighed.  "Very well then.  Have it your way."
     
     *    *    *
     
     Nabiki looked up in surprise at the knock on her door.  "Come
in," she said.
     Ranma and Akane, holding hands, stepped in and sat down on her
bed.  Nabiki raised her eyebrows appraisingly.
     "I must admit, I thought you two would have gone somewhere to
neck," she said.
     Akane had the grace to blush, but Ranma just shook his head.
"There are some arrangements to make, Nabiki, and we need your
help."
     "Oh?  What?"
     "Money.  I need you to help me earn lots of money, as quickly
as possible."
     Nabiki frowned.  "What for?"
     "Well, a ring, and wedding expenses, and... you know the
situation with Ucchan."  Nabiki nodded.  "Well, no matter what kind
of reparation she wants, I'm sure it's going to be expensive one
way or another.  I know father has no way of paying."  Except with
his life, he thought darkly to himself.
     "You realise this'll cost you?"
     Akane looked at her sister directly.  "I expect you to help us
without taking a profit yourself, Nabiki."  Her voice was not cold,
not warm, just direct... laying down the law.  "You've made plenty
off Ranma before today, and we're probably going to need every yen
without having you bleed us white."
     Nabiki sighed, seeming to deflate.  "I was never planning to,
sis.  Sometimes you take all the fun out of things."  She mock-
pouted at the pair, then relaxed and twisted her swivel chair back
and forth a few times, frowning in thought.  "What are you willing
to do, Ranma?  Some things pay better than others."
     Ranma grimaced.  "Whatever I need to.  But if it involves my
female side, nothing physical, and in any event, nothing
dishonourable nor anything that would cause me to be unfaithful to
Akane."  Akane squeezed his hand supportively.
     "And nothing life-threatening or dangerous or anything like
that," added Akane.
     Nabiki whistled in amazement.  Ranma was really serious.  Did
he even suspect how much ground he had left open?  Looking into his
shadowed eyes, she realised with a shock that he probably knew
better than she.
     "I... I'll ask around and let you know," she said.  "I don't
think we'll have any problems getting work.  The problem will be in
keeping it to just what we want and no more."  She smiled at Ranma
lopsidedly.  "Just be glad you couldn't carry a tune if it had
handles, brother-in-law.  The life of an idol singer is not a
pleasant one.  And... congratulations."
     
     *    *    *
     
     Ranma and Akane were sitting together in front of the
television when a light tapping sound came from the wooden
floorboards of the passageway outside the living room.  Ranma
looked over at the open shoji, frowning, and saw his suspicions
justified as Ryouga came into view in his pig form.
     Akane craned her neck to see around Ranma.  "What is it,
Ranma?... P-chan!"  She jumped up and picked him up, snuggling him
to her chest.  "Where have you been all this time?"
     "Probably Hokkaido," muttered Ranma darkly.
     "Ranma!  He's not Ryouga."
     Ranma just shrugged and shook his head, his expression
neutral, before pointedly returning his gaze to the TV.
     "Ohh, P-chan, you're all wet!  Let mummy get a towel and dry
you off."
     
     *    *    *
     
     It was a bright, clear morning, with occasional fluffy white
clouds dotting the sky, and while the sun was warm it did not seem
that it was going to be a hot day.  A gentle breeze rustled the
dark green leaves of summer and birds chirped and flew from branch
to branch.
     Walking down the street, carrying a large overnight bag and a
long, cloth-covered package, a woman stopped outside the gate to
the Tendou Dojo to admire the scene.  Her gaze followed a pair of
birds chasing each other in a celebration of the season.  Finally,
smiling, she rang the bell mounted beside the gate and returned to
her study of nature.
     After a minute, the gate opened.  "Ohayou gozaimasu, Saotome
Nodoka-sama," said Kasumi with a bow.
     Nodoka bowed back.  "Ohayou gozaimasu, Tendou Kasumi-san.  My
son is here this time?"
     Kasumi nodded.  "He is.  But... if you please, there is
something we must discuss first."
     "Oh?  Of course, if you wish.  I have waited ten years; I can
wait a little longer."
     "Thank you.  Please allow me to put your bag inside and then
shall we have tea?"
     *    *    *
     
     Akane woke pleasantly, stretching luxuriously against the
gentle lassitude that accompanied sleeping in late.  The sun was
shining in, the breeze coming in through the open window was not
too warm, the house was quiet, and Ranma had proposed to her last
night.
     All was well with the world.  It was good to be alive.
     She turned to P-chan, who was sitting on her bed beside her.
She smiled at him and sat up.  "Do you think Ranma is awake, P-
chan?" she asked softly, and smiled as the little pig shook its
head.  Almost like he had understood her question.  But that was
impossible.  He was only a little pig.
     "I don't think so either."
     She threw back the sheet that had covered her and got up,
smiling happily.
     
     *    *    *
     
     Kasumi led Nodoka to a seat in a local coffee house.  They
ordered and made small talk until their tea was delivered.  When
the waitress had departed, Kasumi began.
     "Please accept my apologies for not hosting you in the house,
Nodoka-sama," said Kasumi.  "I assure you this is necessary."
     "I admit that I am very curious, Kasumi-san."
     "I have learned many things since Ranma came to stay with us.
Some of them beggar the imagination.  It has truly been an amazing
time."  She sipped her tea delicately.  "But, to get to the
point... have you ever heard of the cursed springs of Jusenkyou?"
     
     "So my son changes into Ranko-chan when he gets wet?"
     "When he gets wet with cold water, yes.  Hot water returns him
to his normal form."
     "Ranko-chan is... *Ranma*?!"
     "Yes."
     She bowed her head, the cloth-wrapped katana gripped in her
left hand trembling.  A low sob escaped.  "So Dearest has failed...
more completely than I could have imagined.  And now, to preserve
our honour, I have to... I have to act as my son's second."
     "Please, Nodoka-sama!  The curse is--"
     "Kasumi.  I realise that the curse is not his fault.  If it is
anybody's fault, it is my husband's.  I know that.
     "But... I really thought Ranko was a young girl.  One with
problems, yes, but a cute girl who should have had a boyfriend.
For my *son* to act like that... is *not* manly!"
     "Excuse me, Nodoka-sama, but perhaps you should reconsider.
Ranma *hates* his girl form, but he is a water magnet.  He always
seems to get splashed at the most inconvenient time.  When you came
for the first time, his father insisted that he not meet you in his
normal form in case he changed to a female in front of you.  Thus
was Ranko born.
     "He has tried many times to tell you... but always fate or his
father have intervened.  He acts as a girl when he is 'Ranko' to
please you... but he can't stand it, and after your visits he's
always very depressed.  It's so sad, it's been almost unbearable to
watch."
     "I... see."  She was silent for a long time.  Kasumi watched
her nervously, but after several minutes Nodoka smiled uncertainly.
"In a way, I'm relieved, Kasumi.  I was always so concerned that
Ranko never seemed to have a boyfriend, and was such a tomboy
unless she thought I was looking, and she always resisted being
made more lady-like... and sometimes, I'd catch her looking so sad
I thought I'd cry.  I thought it was that she was an orphan, and
she needed a mother.  It seems I was closer to the truth than I
could have known."  Tears began to flow from her eyes.  "Oh, Ranma-
chan, how you must have hurt.  How *I* must have hurt you.  You
poor boy."  She wiped her eyes with a tissue she pulled from her
sleeve.  Looking up, she fixed Kasumi with an intense gaze.  "But
tell me, Kasumi, is he manly?"
     Kasumi nodded calmly.  "He is.  What is more, he has a degree
of honour one doesn't often see in these modern times.  I tell you
the truth in this!  But... in many ways he is *too* 'manly', Nodoka-
sama.  I regret to say that Ranma-kun isn't a well-rounded person.
He has many flaws."
     Nodoka sighed in relief.  "That's all right.  It's not at all
surprising given that Genma brought him up on his own...
particularly given that stupid pledge.  I think I can fix that."
She smiled, leaning back to sip her recently-freshened tea.
     "I'm glad to hear that.  I admit that I was worried how you
would take this, Nodoka-sama.  But there is more.  Ranma proposed
to Akane last night."
     "Oh!  That's delightful!  Such a manly thing to do!"
     Kasumi smiled but held up one hand.  "I agree... but I'm
afraid there's a problem."
     "What's wrong?  Not... Akane's not pregnant, is she?!"
     "What?  Oh, no, no, not at all.  It's nothing like that.  I'm
afraid it's nothing so easily resolved."
     Nodoka looked at Kasumi oddly.  "Oh?"
     "You know that Ranma's father had arranged Ranma's betrothal
to one of us?"
     "Yes.  I was most upset with Darling when he did that, but it
seems to have worked out for the best."
     "Yes.  But shortly after leaving home, he betrothed Ranma
again... to a girl named Kuonji Ukyou."
     "What?!"
     "What's worse, the engagement still stands..."
     
     *    *    *
     
     Akane stood in the kitchen, water glass in one hand and
Kasumi's note in the other, with a thoughtful frown on her face.
'Akane, I'm sorry but I had to go out urgently.  Would you please
prepare breakfast for the others?  Kasumi.'
     Around her, the house slumbered.  Genma was even sprawled
untidily on the tatami in the living room, snoring loudly.
     But that was not very surprising, given how Genma and Soun had
been drinking last night.  At dinner they had been unbearable,
giggling like schoolchildren and congratulating each other at the
'success' of their 'plans'.  All because she and Ranma hadn't
fought!  About halfway through the meal, Genma had pointed out to
Soun how close the two were sitting, and how well they were getting
along, and there had been no holding the two of them back.  Bah.
     After dinner, spurred by their mood, they had played a risky
drinking variant of Go, one sip of sake per piece captured.  They
had got *very* drunk and had gone on incessantly about the union of
their two families.  When they started crying on each other's
shoulder about how she and Ranma would *never* get married it had
all become too much to bear, and as one she and Ranma had headed to
their beds after stealing a goodnight kiss.
     She smiled to herself.  She would wake Ranma before preparing
breakfast.  But where had Kasumi gone, she wondered?
     Akane gently opened the door to the room Ranma shared with his
father.  Ranma was sound asleep, arms akimbo.  The futon his father
usually occupied had been set out, presumably by Ranma, but had not
been slept in.
     Quietly she slipped into the room and closed the door.  She
knelt beside the futon.
     "Ranma."
     Nothing.  Oblivious, Ranma slept on.
     "Ranmaaaaa..."
     Nothing.  Akane smiled wryly to herself and wondered why she
had thought that such simple measures would wake him, when they had
never done so in the past.  She was about to reach out and shake
him when his position struck her:  He was laying on his back, his
head fairly upright, and his mouth was closed.  A mischievous
thought struck her... why not?
     Supporting herself with one hand on the other side of him,
Akane leaned down.
     And kissed him.
     For a long moment, nothing happened.  Then with a start, Ranma
came awake.  His arms and legs twitched in an aborted defensive
move, and his eyes stared briefly in amazement before the events of
yesterday came crashing in and he realised that yes, this was
Akane, and yes, it was okay to kiss back.
     So he put his arms around her and did so.
     "Good morning, sleepyhead," said Akane eventually, with a
smile.
     "Good morning."  Ranma sat up and moved his head about in
stretching motions.  "That's certainly an unusual way to be woken."
     "Are you complaining?"
     "Who me?  Not at all."
     "Good.  Would you like some breakfast?"
     "Sure.  I'm surprised we haven't been rousted out of bed
already."
     "Kasumi's out.  I'll cook something for you."
     Reflexively, he said, "But can't we go out for--!... Oh."  He
smiled.  "Thank you, that would be nice."
     
     *    *    *
     
     The garden gate slammed back with a crash, almost wrenching
itself off its hinges.  It juddered back jerkily from the wall.
Nodoka stormed through the opening, so angry that it seemed as
though the earth smoked in her footsteps.  The cloth-wrapped katana
trembled in her grip.  Kasumi scurried behind her.
     "Genma!  Saotome Genma!!!  Show yourself, you pitiful excuse
for a man!!"
     "Please, Nodoka-sama, calm yourself!"
     "Genmaaaaa!!"
     A fat, slightly-damp panda waddled around the corner and
flopped to the ground by the pool and began playing with an old
tyre.  Nodoka turned to Kasumi.
     "Kasumi-san, would you please do me the favour of getting me a
kettle of hot water?"
     "Of course, Nodoka-sama."
     
     *    *    *
     
     The crash of the garden gate reverberated through the house.
Ranma and Akane dashed from the kitchen but skidded to a halt as
Nodoka shouted Genma's name.  Ranma's face went grey.
     "Mother!" he said in a strangled voice.
     "Quick, get some water from the kitchen," said Akane to
Ranma's back as he dashed back into the kitchen.  There was a quick
sploshing of water, and onna-Ranma reappeared, a sickly smile on
her face as she dried her hair with a kitchen towel.
     Kasumi came inside, smiled reassuringly at Ranma, and went
into the kitchen.  Ranma and Akane followed her in.
     "Kasumi!" said Ranma in a low voice.  "What are you doing?"
     "I'm getting some hot water," replied Kasumi at normal volume.
     "What for?"
     "Nodoka-sama asked for some."
     Ranma blanched and Akane looked green.  "What?!  Are you mad?
She'll find out!"
     Kasumi filled the kettle with the now-hot water running from
the tap and smiled reassuringly at the others.  "She already
knows," she said as she went back outside with the kettle.  "It's
okay."
     Akane and Ranma looked at each other.  "It's *okay*?" they
chorused in amazement.
     
     Outside, Nodoka was standing over the sweating panda,
quivering with rage.  Sunlight gleamed erratically from the naked
blade of her katana as she held it over her head.
     Kasumi carried the full kettle over to the pair.  Ranma and
Akane watched in horror from the concealment of the house.  Nodoka
said, "Kasumi, would you please do me the favour of pouring that
onto this useless husband of mine?"  Obligingly Kasumi did as she
was asked then stood back, her expression neutral.
     Genma lay on the ground, sweating, hands held above his face
half in defence, half in supplication, his face a mask of fear.
     "N-n-n-Nodoka!"
     "How could you!" yelled Nodoka at her husband.  "I just can't
believe it!  Not satisfied with ripping our son away from me, with
bringing him up so that he has almost no chance of fitting in with
*normal* people, you do something like this!!!  Were you, are you
insane?!!"  She stopped for a moment, bringing the sword down so
that it was pointing at him.  "You have almost certainly destroyed
yourself through your utter stupidity and arrant cowardice,
*husband*.  I only *pray* that you have not also destroyed our
son!!"
     Kasumi stepped forward.  "Please, Nodoka-sama!  A conversation
like this should not be held in public."
     Nodoka stared at Kasumi for a moment, then dropped the katana
to fall to her knees and hold her face in her hands, sobbing.  The
katana stuck into the ground next to Genma's neck, point first, the
hilt swinging gently.  Genma's eyes crossed as he watched the blade
move gently back and forth.
     Onna-Ranma sprinted out of the house and wrapped her arms
around Nodoka.  "Mother!  Mother!  It's okay!"
     "R...Ranma?"
     "It's okay, mother!  I can live with the curse!  It's not the
end of the world!"
     "Oh, Ranma," she said.  "After so long...."  She grabbed him
and put her head on Ranma's shoulder.  "I wasn't talking about the
curse," she said as her tears intensified.
     Ranma didn't even notice as Kasumi poured hot water on his
head.  He was too wrapped up in the feel, the scent of his
mother... the knowledge of finally, finally *having* a mother.
     *DING*  "Nihao!"
     Ranma urgently *yanked* his mother to one side, shoving her
out of the way.  Unfortunately he wasn't quite able to avoid
Shampoo's bike himself.
     *CRASH*
     "Nihao, husband!" she said to otoko-Ranma, who was stretched
out on the ground beneath her bike in the promise pose.  "Shampoo
sorry she hit with bike.  Why husband not avoid?"
     Nodoka levered herself off the ground where she had been
tossed by Ranma.  "And who are you, may I ask, to call my son
'husband'?"
     "Shampoo.  Am great Joketsuzoku warrior.  You are mother-in-
law?"
     "To the best of my knowledge, my son is not married," said
Nodoka frostily.  "Would somebody please explain?"
     Shampoo grabbed Ranma out from under her bike and glomped onto
him.  "Ranma beat Shampoo in fight.  Tribe law says must marry
outsider male who defeats amazon.  Ranma is husband!  Shampoo so
happy!"
     Ranma was trying to push her off, but for some reason Shampoo
had the grip of a python today.
     Akane's mallet appeared in her hands.  "Ranma!  How dare you
do this after what happened last night!"
     "Akane!"  Kasumi's voice cracked like a whip.  Akane stared at
her in amazement, the mallet vanishing.  Kasumi raising her voice?
"Can't you see he's trying to get rid of her?"
     Nabiki wandered sleepily through the living room to the edge
of the passageway facing the pond.  She frowned to herself in
puzzlement as she recognised Nodoka.  "Say, what's going on?" she
called.
     Nodoka watched, her eyes huge, as mayhem erupted around her.
     Ranma finally found his voice.  "Shampoo!  Let go of me!  I am
*not* your husband!"
     Shampoo tightened her grip.  "Shampoo never let husband go!
Shampoo so happy!"
     Akane jumped to attack Shampoo.  "Let go of him, you Chinese
hussy!"
     Shampoo let go of Ranma and took up a defensive stance against
Akane's attack, her eyes flat.  "You attack too hard and Shampoo
have to kill," she said.
     "Let's see you fight without your bonbori, you pussycat!"
yelled Akane as she jumped in, beginning a classic attack.
     Shampoo moved quickly and caught her and held her off the
ground at arm's length.  "It *you* who is cat," she said
contemptuously as she threw Akane into the pond.  She then
attempted to glomp Ranma again, but Ranma fended her off.
     "How dare you?!" he said.
     "Please, husband.  Wife must hold husband, never let go."
Shampoo tried again to reach Ranma, but again he kept her away.
     Akane-neko chose this moment to climb out of the pool, her
eyes glowing a hatred of all things liquid... and Chinese.  She ran
and jumped onto Shampoo's back, digging in her claws.
     "Aaagh!" cried Shampoo and Ranma in chorus.  "Cat!!" added
Ranma intelligently as he scrambled away from the pond.  Shampoo
grabbed Akane-neko after a few failed attempts and flung her to the
ground.
     "Urk!" grunted Genma as Akane landed on his stomach.
     Ranma saw red.  Akane could have been seriously injured!  With
a kiai, he jumped at Shampoo.  Shampoo tried to grab him in her
embrace but he avoided her and quickly poked her sleep spot.
Bonelessly she slumped to the ground.
     An angry sound came from Akane-neko, low and buzz-saw-like in
its intensity.  Ranma whipped his head around to see a *very* angry
cat, fur matted and wet, snarling at the unconscious Shampoo.
     "Where did Akane go?" asked Nodoka, looking at the pond.
"Ranma?"
     Ranma's eyes were big, his lips drawn back, his hands held
before him in a pose of fear and avoidance.  "C-c-c-cat!" he
stuttered, stumbling backwards to trip over Shampoo.
     Akane launched herself at Shampoo, claws extended, ears back
against her head and cat eyes bulging furiously.  She landed on
Shampoo's leg, claws extended to dig into the bare flesh, her
small, needle-sharp teeth biting down hard.  Ranma watched in
horror as Akane attacked the helpless Shampoo.
     "N-n-no!" he ground out.  "A-Aka--!"  He strained to intercept
the furious cat, but was unable to force himself to move towards
her.  "Akane!  Don't!"
     Then Nabiki was there, lifting Akane-neko by the nape of her
neck.  Akane hissed and spat angrily at Nabiki, but she just shook
her head at her younger sister before cuddling her gingerly to her
chest.  "Good morning, Obasama," she said.  "This is Akane here."
     *SPLASH*
     "Let go of me, kuso jiji!!" yelled a dripping-wet Ranma to
Happousai who was nestled between her ample breasts, squeezing them
to his face.
     "Ranma, my dear, you love your master don't you?"
     "Gaaa!"  Ranma, still feeling the effects of his attempt to
stop Akane-neko, tried weakly to bash the old pervert to the
ground.  Happousai sneered and stood and took stance before Ranma.
     "You will treat your master with respect!" he said.  "Are you
*sure* you are good enough to be my heir?"
     "You ain't my master, you wrinkled old cretin," said Ranma
with shaky contempt.
     "Excuse me, but who is this?"
     Happousai spun at Nodoka's soft, melodic voice.  "Oh, another
lovely lady!"  He leapt for Nodoka, settling himself in his
favourite pose between her breasts.  Nodoka just stood there,
stunned.
     Genma's world was the razor-sharp katana's edge, inches from
his eyes.
     Nabiki raised her eyebrow, wondering to herself how Nodoka
would react.  "Meet Happousai, Obasama," she said evenly.
     Nodoka's eyes briefly widened, then narrowed.  Happousai
looked up at her, his eyes big and innocent.  She gently stroked
the old man's scalp with one hand.  "So this is the illustrious
Happousai, who trained my husband so well," she said respectfully.
Happousai looked as though he would purr if he could.
     Unseen, Nodoka's other hand grasped the katana, which still
stood in the earth.  Smiling at Happousai, she continued to stroke
his scalp lovingly.  "It's such a pleasure to meet a man so virile
and loving," she continued as she gently lifted the katana.
     "A woman of taste!" cried Happousai happily as he rubbed
Nodoka's breasts against his cheeks.  "At last!"  Tears leaked from
his eyes.
     Suddenly the naked blade of the katana lay against the back of
his neck, the razor edge decorated with a line of blood.  Nodoka
spoke in a loving voice.  "Master Happousai... if you so much as
come touch me again, I will remove your head from your neck and not
feel the slightest remorse."  She smiled at him.  "Do you
understand?"
     The whole family stared at Nodoka, stunned.  She seemed to
notice the regard and looked at them and smiled.  "After all," she
said happily, "manners must be maintained."  She turned back to
regard the now-frozen old man on her chest.  "Isn't that right,
Master Happousai?"
     She took the katana away from his neck and he slid nervelessly
to the ground, to lie there, still in glomping pose, his face grey
and cracked.
     Ranma cleared his throat into the stunned silence.  "Perhaps
I'd better take Shampoo home," he said.
     "I'll change Akane back," said Nabiki.
     "Would anybody like breakfast?" asked Kasumi brightly.
     
     *    *    *
     
     Both families were gathered around the table in the living
room.  Kasumi was serving tea.
     "So Akane turns into a *cat* when she gets wet?" asked Nodoka
disbelievingly, a little shell-shocked.  "Girl, panda, cat... how
many springs are there at that horrible place?"
     "When oyaji and I were there, there were *lots* of ponds with
poles in them," said Ranma darkly.
     "Is there any cure?"
     Ranma shook his head.
     "Opinion seems to be divided on that," said Nabiki.
     "Eh?" grunted Ranma, staring at Nabiki in amazement.  "What
are you talking about, Nabiki?  You remember what Shampoo said the
old ghoul said."
     "Yeah... but Shampoo could have got it wrong, or she might
have been lying... or lied to."
     Ranma frowned.  "What do you mean?"
     "Look, Ranma.  Have you forgotten already that the instant
nanniichuan cured you and your father once?  Maybe Cologne was
lying.  Maybe it was all a setup to fool you."
     Hope flared in Ranma's eyes, then faded again.  "But look at
what happened to Pantyhose Taro!" he said.  "To tell you the truth,
I'd rather stay as I am than end up like that."
     "But you said you were giving up your quest for the
nanniichuan so you could look for the nyanniichuan for Akane.  If
that's what you fear, why do that?"
     Ranma looked down.  "I didn't think of that... but I still
think it's a good idea.  Even if the curses *do* merge, being half-
woman half-cat would have to be better than being just a cat!  At
the moment, Akane can't defend herself when she's been splashed.  I
can't stand the thought of that."  He sighed and grabbed Akane's
hand under the table.  "But I guess the *right* thing to do is to
ask Akane.  It's her life, after all."
     Nodoka smiled approvingly at her son but kept silent.  Akane
squeezed Ranma's hand and nodded.  "Thank you, Ranma."
     P-chan wandered in and nudged Akane in the back.  She spun
around and grabbed him and held him up, smiling happily.
     "P-chan!" cried Akane.  "Where did you get to?"
     Nodoka frowned.  "So who is this?  *Another* Jusenkyou
victim?"  She tossed Genma a dark look.
     "Bweeee!  Buweeee!"
     Akane smiled, clutching P-chan to her chest.  "Please don't
joke like that, obasama.  He's just a black pig!  Isn't that right,
Ranma?"
     Ranma looked awkward, dropping Akane's hand to hug his elbows.
He looked away... but somehow the way he moved his head looked a
little as though he was shaking it.  An awkward silence followed.
     "Bweeee!  Biii!  Biii!"  His teeth bared in a snarl, P-chan
struggled to get out of Akane's grip, his eyes fixed angrily on
Ranma.
     Nabiki's eyes grew wide in realisation.  Akane looked at Ranma
in surprise. "Ranma?".
     Nodoka was frowning in confusion.  "What is it, Ranma?"
     Ranma looked at the table, hands in his lap.  "I can't say,"
he mumbled.
     "What are you talking about, Ranma?"
     He squirmed uncomfortably.  There was a long pause before he
finally burst out, "I can't say!  Why don't you ask Ryouga?!  It's
he who holds my oath!!"  He jumped to his feet and stormed out.
After a moment Akane jumped up and followed him, leaving Ryouga
behind.
     Nodoka turned to her husband, fire in her eyes.  "Genma!  Do
you know what's going on!?"
     Genma nodded solemnly.  "Yes.  But I too cannot say, Nodoka.
Bushido."
     She sighed.  She looked to Soun who shook his head at her
sternly.
     Nabiki said nothing.
     
     *    *    *
     
     Ranma concentrated on his balance as footsteps echoed in the
dojo.  Akane's footsteps; he'd know them anywhere.  She stepped
around him and knelt down facing him.  She looked odd, upside down.
She also looked a little peeved.
     "What's wrong with you, Ranma?" she asked.  "You've never
liked P-chan.  Why do you keep implying there's something
mysterious about him?  He's just a little pig, after all."
     Ranma closed his eyes.  He couldn't *believe* how dense Akane
was being.  "Have you ever heard of bushido?"
     Akane looked incensed.  "Of course I have!  What's that go to
do with anything?!"
     With a grunt of frustration Ranma flipped himself out of his
inverted position to land in seiza.  "That's the reason I can't
tell you!!  Akane no baka!!"
     Anger sizzled through Akane at his statement.  It was just
like Ranma to be so obtuse!!  She jumped up into attack position,
the reassuring solidity of the haft of her mallet familiar in her
hands.  Ranma reacted quickly, but Akane was amazed to see that he
only put his hands over his head.  He looked up at her, his neutral
expression not hiding the expectation of pain to come in his eyes,
making no other move to defend himself.
     Ranma's words of yesterday echoed in Akane's head.  'You've
got to learn to control it before you accidentally kill somebody...
such as me.'  His expression tore at her.  It was the mute
acceptance of what she was about to do that hurt the most.
Suddenly she could stand it no more, and turned to run out of the
dojo to the refuge of her room, hot tears splashing down her face.
     Silently Ranma watched her go before returning to his inverted
position, groping mentally within himself trying to find something
resembling his wa.
     
     *    *    *
     
     Nabiki poked her head around the dojo door.  "Ranma!  Lunch!"
     Ranma, now sitting comfortably on the dojo floor, thinking,
ignored her utterly.
     "Ranma!  Did you hear me?  I said, lunch is ready."
     Nabiki frowned as Ranma continued to stare off into space.
Something must be wrong.  She padded lightly into the dojo and
waved her hand in front of Ranma's face.  "Ranma?  Moshi-moshi?
Anyone at home?"
     He turned his head slowly to look her in the eyes.  A puzzled
expression partly hid the pained frustration in his eyes.  "Is it
just me, Nabiki?  Why doesn't she *get* it?  I just can't believe,
after all this time, she *still* doesn't *get* it!"
     Nabiki frowned down at him.  "Get what?"
     Ranma snorted.  "That damn pig!"
     She sighed and sat down in front of him.  Her heart went out
to him, but there was a lesson Ranma had to learn for his own good.
"You mean Ryouga?"
     He grunted affirmatively whilst studying his toes, then looked
up at her slowly, frowning in confusion.  "I... why haven't *you*
told her?  You're not bound by bushido."  His expression hardened.
"Your own sister?! You're probably holding out until you can extort
something out of me or her!!  I can't *believe* you!!"
     The disgust in his eyes spiked Nabiki's heart.  He'd looked at
her that way plenty of times before and she'd ignored it, even
counted it as some kind of compliment, but now... for some reason
it hurt; it hurt deeply.  The many previous occasions when she'd
taken shameless advantage of her sister and Ranma paraded through
her mind.  The photographs she sold.  The concert ticket.  The ink-
stained jacket.  The 'engagement'.
     Unable to bear his look, she closed her eyes and bowed her
head to relieve the tightness in her chest.  "I can see why you
think that," she began but she stopped when she realised that her
voice was tight and unsteady.  She cleared her throat and looked
again at Ranma, whose accusing expression had given way to
surprise.  The change gave her the heart to go on.
     "I can see why you think that," she said more firmly.  "But I
only figured it out this morning, brother-in-law.  I *haven't* been
'holding back' on my *own* *sister*..." she said with a slow head-
shake, "... even though I may have in the past," she finished
ruefully.
     She tilted her head a little to the side and smiled at him
weakly.  "Maybe it's no surprise that Akane hasn't figured it out
if *I* only got it this morning."  She grimaced.  "Though I can't
*believe* it took me so long.  You sure dropped enough hints.  I
must be slipping."  She pointed at Ranma automatically.  "But if
*I* didn't get it 'til this morning, maybe you shouldn't be
surprised that Akane hasn't."
     Ranma sighed, and Nabiki was amazed at how much he seemed to
deflate in that simple action.  "Maybe you're right, Nabiki," he
said, studying his feet.  "But I just *can't* tell her outright...
and now that we're engaged for real, I *really* don't like the idea
of Ryouga sleeping with her!  In her *bed*!!"
     "I understand," she said gently.  "But... what exactly is it
about 'bushido' that prevents you from just telling her?  I'm not a
martial artist, Ranma.  I don't know all these things."
     He looked at her curiously.  "You don't?" he said, surprised.
     Nabiki shook her head, holding his eyes with hers.  Ranma sat
up straight again and shrugged.
     "Well, firstly it's considered somewhat dishonourable to tell
others of somebody's weakness."
     Frowning inwardly, she thought about it.  It didn't seem like
a good enough reason for all this carry-on when Ranma did after all
have a duty to his fiancee.  "Enough so that you wouldn't tell your
fiancee?"
     Ranma shook his head.  "No.  But in my case, I swore an oath
when I first discovered that he'd been cursed never to tell
anybody."
     Nabiki couldn't believe her ears.  "Why?!"
     He broke eye contact and studied his feet again.  "I felt
guilty."
     "Eh?  Why was that?"
     "Ryouga was standing on the path away from Jusenkyou when I
was chasing oyaji, just after we'd been cursed.  He pushed Ryouga
off balance as he went past him, and I knocked him off the path.  I
didn't even notice at the time that we were on a cliff; I was too
angry at oyaji to think straight."
     "But if he hadn't followed you, he wouldn't have been there to
be pushed!"
     Ranma shrugged.  "That doesn't matter."
     "But... oh, I guess you're right."  She frowned as a new
thought occurred to her.  "What about otousan and ojisan?"
     He frowned.  "They must have their own reasons.  But Nabiki...
your father is a *very* honourable man.  I've never seen anybody so
governed by their honour."
     "Yes."  A thought occurred to her.  "Like you, Ranma," she
said with a smile, meaning to compliment him.
     He reacted like she had hit him.  He wrapped his arms about
his chest, hunching his shoulders forward.  "Maybe not for much
longer," he said quietly.
     Surprised, Nabiki leaned forward, reaching out to him.  His
obvious distress touched her heart.  "Why?"
     He addressed his feet in a low monotone.  "Ukyou.  Akane.  I
just can't see a solution.  I can't go on like this much longer.
Sometimes at night I want to just break the engagement with Ukyou
and be done with it but if I did that and married Akane that'd kill
her honour too and I can't do that to her, I just can't.  Sometimes
I think it'd be better to just end it all but that'd kill Akane too
so I can't do that either."
     Impulsively Nabiki got up on her knees and leaned forward to
wrap her arms around Ranma in a hug.  He was surprised to feel her
arms go around him, feel their warmth easing the tension in his
chest, dispelling the cold despair that had filled him.  He
straightened a little and automatically put his own arms around
Nabiki, pulling her close to increase the warmth.
     Nabiki was a little surprised when Ranma wrapped his arms
around her in a grip just short of crushing.  She could feel him
trembling.  Her heart went out to him.  Something had made him open
up to her as he had never done before... to anyone, she suspected.
     To open up to her so... he must love and trust her, she
realised.  Answering love rose in her own chest, threatening to
overflow her defenses in the form of tears, and she hugged him
tighter... but as minutes passed, she came to realise that what she
felt was filial love, not the romantic love that she knew her
sister felt... and that she, too, had briefly hoped she had found.
     She collapsed forward over his head a little, relief and
disappointment clashing within her:  Relief that she would not be
fighting with Akane over Ranma, and... disappointment that her
fantasy of the other night would probably never come to pass.
     Oh, well.  A smile found its way onto her face as she realised
what had happened.  'A brother... I have a brother!!!'
     


     ========================================
     
Author's Notes:

This is the third draft of part four of a series of what I now
think will be about seven parts.

Spelling and grammar weenies, the spelling used is *Commonwealth*
English so please don't gig me for "colour", "honour", "centred", and
numerous "s" <--> "z" replacements.  I definitely want to know
about grammar and spelling errors, however.  Nobody is perfect.

I'd like to thank my pre-reader Chris Jones <hamster@arn.net> for
his invaluable input.

This 'fic uses a few Japanese words.  I've tried to use them only
where the meaning they express is more precise than the English
equivalent... or where there is no easy equivalent in English.  I've
attached an incomplete glossary.
     

Glossary:

Bushido:  The samurai code.  "The way of the warrior."
Hentai:  Usually translated as "perverted".
Hokkaido:  The northernmost of the main Japanese islands.
Moshi-moshi:  "Hello"... but usually only used in telephone
     conversation.
Nanniichuan:  Spring-of-drowned-man.
Nyanniichuan:  Spring-of-drowned-girl.
Ohayou gozaimasu:  A formal "good morning", used until about 10am.
     "Ohayou" on its own is an informal version.
Obasama:  "Aunt", very respectful.
Ojisan:  "Uncle", somewhat respectful.
Otousan:  "Father", somewhat respectful.
Oyaji:  Ranma's term for his father.  It means "old man" and is
     very rude.
Seiza:  A formal kneeling pose, in which one sits on one's heels
     and lays one's hands on one's thighs.
Shoji:  The wood and rice-paper doors associated with traditional
     Japanese construction.
Wa:  Peace/harmony.  To find one's wa and to grow one's wa are the
     objectives of many meditation exercises.