Leifker presents... [Lemon warning!]

The valley stretched below Akane as she sat at the entrance; like 
anyone familiar with its raw power, she held her position, her eyes 
absorbing every detail, every danger.  The pools were obscured in the 
morning mists; the ends of bamboo poles stuck out from the fog, warning
her of the magic hidden beneath.  The quaint little hut stood at the 
near end, a final chance for mercy for anyone who might carelessly 
venture inside.  For the first time, she noticed in detail the forest 
at the other end of the valley; her previous visit hadn't given her 
much of a chance to sightsee.  She wondered what secrets it held, or if
it were as dangerous as the pools that lay next to it.

This was Jusenkyo, at its most honest.  

In the end, the road of Ranma's life had to lead back here.  Things had
come undone in ways even Ranma couldn't foresee, starting with Ryouga's
death.  The words from their fights still rung in her ears; at least 
she now knew why he'd acted that way.  What she didn't know, however, 
was if she had the courage to undo what had been done.  To do that, she
had to battle the demons that had possessed them both - and bring them
both out safe.

A scarlet shadow moved amidst the fog, one she knew well.  The lithe 
figure danced among the poles, never missing a jump, never even 
hesitating even with the fog.  She marveled at the girl's athleticism;
even after all this time, her moves seemed something of legend, not the
creation of flesh and blood, and especially not the creation of her 
beloved.  This was the stuff of magic; life and death no longer held 
any boundary in there.

Magic had come into her life with Ranma; she had to risk magic to bring
her back.  She knew the risks; Ranma had told her what lay on the 
bottom of that valley, and the Guide had told her what had happened.  
The curse was only the beginning; beyond it lay things she could only 
guess at, specters that chilled even Ranma's shadowed soul.  

Akane picked up her backpack, her eyes never far from the woman on the
poles, and spun a golden ring around her finger.  Only the ignorant or
insane would enter Jusenkyo; to her, love was insanity enough.

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

Leifker Presents...

The Other Side of Life

A Ranma 1/2 work of anime fanfiction, set in the Flesh and Blood 
universe, by Nicholas Leifker

All characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.  All rights reserved.  I 
ask that you not do anything with any part of this work without 
permission.

WARNING: This is a lemon work.  There are scenes with sexually 
explicit behavior.  If you are not of an age where you can maturely 
handle such things, please do not read any more.  

We all begin anew...

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

After all this time, Ranma still wasn't quite used to being a woman.

She leapt off of the pole, ironically right over the pool she'd landed
in years ago, and landed in the relative safety of Jusenkyo's edge.  
Her hands reached through the fog to pick up her jacket; winter was 
coming, and she needed protection from its threatening chill now more 
than ever.  This was a negative effect of her new form; her resistance
to the elements was diminished considerably.

As she wrapped the coat around herself, she looked at the mist around 
her, and smiled.  She had missed mornings like this, when all that she
had was her father and her Art.  Her father was gone, enjoying hot 
meals and lazy days with her mother.  The Art, however, remained, and 
it was what she always went back to.  At least that didn't leave with 
her old body...

There were secrets here, even more so than most knew.  Sure, there was
the infamous Curse; however, that was only the beginning.  She'd talked
to them on occasion, the people behind this geas that they'd forced on
her.  They wanted something from her, and for some reason, she couldn't
give it to them as a man.

And so, in typical fashion, they had taken her manhood.  Taken it 
outright, this time; no hot water would help her now.  The ending had 
not been pretty; there were many words that she would have given 
everything to have taken back.  She still cried out for Akane at night,
still dreamed of what might have been, still wondered what that normal 
life they both craved would have been like.

But that was from a life long gone, and that she could only wish for 
getting back.  Sighing, she made her way back to the hut.  It was 
almost time for breakfast, and she needed her strength for the day.  

"Hey, stranger."

She lifted her head.  Akane stood at the doorway; that face Ranma once
knew like a book was unreadable to her now.  Still, she came; that had
to be worth something.

"Akane."  In an instant, fears beat back her hope; fears that Akane 
would become like her, a victim of this place.  "It's dangerous here.
Please go."

Akane shook her head.  "Not this time - not now, not ever."

Familiar emotions, frustrations Ranma knew well in their early days 
together, came to the forefront.  "Akane, do you honestly know what 
this place does to a person?  How it changes... how it manipulates?"  
She shook her head, more to clear her own demons than shoo Akane's.  
"Akane, please. This place perverts everything it touches - and I don't
want you to fall as I have."

"Is that why you pushed me away?  Why you pushed all of us away?"

Ranma winced.  Each word she'd screamed then hurt, each insult a knife
to her own heart.  "Yeah.  I... can't let you get touched by this, 
Akane.  It's already ruined my life; I won't let it ruin yours."  She 
walked over and touched Akane's face with her hand - a dangerous sign 
of intimacy.  "Please, Akane."

An orchestra of emotions played across Akane's face; for a moment, she
hoped that her words had worked - all the while fearing the same thing.
She wanted Akane to be next to her, beside her - but she would kill 
herself before allowing Jusenkyo to get its hands on her.  Any doubts,
though, ended when Akane raised her eyes - along with her left hand.

"Ranma, I promised you.  'Till death do us part.  I knew the sort of 
person you were, the curses you carried - and I married you anyway.  
And I will not go back on that promise."  She swallowed; Ranma watched
the movement of her throat.  "You mean too much to me."

Ranma moved his shaking hand from her face.  "Akane, that man you 
married is gone.  I want him back, believe me; that's why I'm here.  
But... I'm not a man anymore.  I can't be that man.  And... and what 
we were brought together to do can't happen anymore."

Akane looked around; Ranma watched the gears turn in her head.  Akane 
was stretching, she knew; she hoped that what she'd said was enough.  

The last thing she expected was Akane's bright eyes smiling back at 
her.  "Then let me help you come back.  It'll be fun!  It'll be just 
like that training trips we went on when we were younger."

Defeated.  There was no way Akane could be dissuaded now; she had a 
mission, and the hells themselves would not keep her from it.  Ranma 
slumped her shoulders, and walked toward the hut's entrance.  "Come on
in.  Plum should have breakfast ready."

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

"So.  How have things been since I left?"

Akane set down her bowl of rice.  "I honestly don't know how to answer
that, Ranma."  She shook her head.  "After you left... it was difficult
to gauge anything like that."

Ranma nodded, her eyes saying the apology her lips couldn't.  "It... 
was difficult from my end, too."  A stray thought passed through her 
head.  "Akari?"

A wistful smile appeared on Akane's face.  "Akari's staying with your 
mom for the moment.  There have been no major complications so far - 
thank goodness for that."  The smile vanished.  "It's terribly hard on
her, though.  She always wanted Ryouga to be there, to be a father... 
and that's not going to happen now.  I can't count the number of times
she's cried herself to sleep."

Ranma set her food to the side.  The food could wait; this was more 
important.  "Mom and Pop?"

Akane pursed her lips.  "Having difficulties.  Our fathers keep on 
going on training trips - more to avoid responsibility than anything 
else, I think.  I think your mom needs the time with Akari right now."
She flashed a deadpan stare at Ranma; her voice took on the slightest 
hint of accusation.  "After all, both her husband and son are running 
away from her..."

"Enough, Akane."  Ranma never could resist a challenge; she met Akane's
gaze head-on.  "You know why I'm here."

"I know."  Akane looked away, a battle lost.  "It... it still hurts, 
though."  She clenched her fist, and hit it against her thigh.  "Why 
didn't you tell me what was going on, Ranma?  Why didn't you tell us 
your curse was acting up like this?"

Ranma edged backwards at the question, and put her chin in her hands.
Why, indeed?  Ideas that came to the forefront seemed cheap now; 
reasonings and rationalizations paled in comparison to real life.  In 
the end, there was only one answer she could give.

"Because I was stupid."

A pathetic chuckle eked out of Akane's throat; the laugh was peppered 
with hot tears.  She reached over, and cupped Ranma's face in her 
hands.  "Ranma, that's the most intelligent thing you've said in three
months."  A silence passed between them, a moment where the 
conversation went beyond the verbal and into something more 
instinctive.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough.  Akane bit her lip, and looked out 
the hut's window.

"So, what do we do now?"

Ranma sighed.  "Akane, I have to stay here - at least for a little 
while.  It's not something I can rationalize or explain; Jusenkyo is 
*calling* me to be here for some reason."  Her gaze tore into Akane's,
as though trying to convey that feeling with a look.  "I can't leave -
not until I'm ready."

"I know."  Akane's eyes fixed on Ranma's cursed body.  "So.  What were
your travels like?"

Ranma shrugged.  "About a week after I left, it became permanent.  I 
spent awhile just wandering; I didn't know where I was going or why.  
Eventually, I found myself on a ship in China, and on my way here."  
She ran her fingers through her hair.  "At least now I know how Ryouga 
felt..."

"There's a lot he never liked to talk about, that he held in back 
then."  Akane looked out to the sight of past memory.  "Akari... to 
deal with what happened... sorta told me a lot of the stuff he'd 
confided in her about.  I guess she wanted someone else to know what 
sort of man he was."

"She didn't need to do that."  Ranma clenched her fist, feeling old 
anguishes coming back.  "We already knew.  We already knew..."  She 
found pictures coming back to her mind, sights she'd seen dozens of 
times - but never with a human face behind the pig's mask.  She 
shivered; the abode suddenly felt colder.

"So.  What do you *do* around here?"

The question was precisely what Ranma needed.  "You really want to 
help?"

"Of course."

Ranma gobbled the food she'd set aside, and turned to the door.  "Then
follow me."

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

The woods were a perfect match for Jusenkyo, Akane thought as she and 
Ranma walked into them.  Ten feet into the forest and the rest of the 
world was hazy; twenty feet and all that was around was trees.  The 
sunlight filtered through the leaves, giving just enough illumination 
to get around.  If a person wasn't careful, they could run through the
forest, break into the sunlight - only to encounter firsthand the true
horror of the valley.  

After a moment, she caught herself turning around in circles.  There 
was something very wrong with this forest, something that tugged at her
internal alarms.  Her eyes darted furiously; if she could figure it 
out...

"There aren't any animals here."

Akane turned back around.  Ranma smiled quietly back; she took a moment
to study her face.  "No animals?"

Ranma nodded.  "The forest is quiet because the animals know better 
than to get so close to Jusenkyo."  Her smile turned sour.  "Wish Pop 
and I were as smart..."

Like any good partner, Akane steered Ranma clear of depression.  "So.  
Which one should we chop down?"

Ranma scratched her head.  "We need to get one closer to the edge of 
the forest.  Some of the trees there are still fairly old - twenty 
years or so - but not so old that it would feel like murder."  Using 
her axe, she pointed to the edge of the forest.  "Besides, the closer 
we are to the Guide's place, the easier it is to get it back."

Akane looked sheepish for a moment; she always considered herself a 
fairly common-sense person, until life proved her otherwise - an 
increasingly common occurance.  Realizing that Ranma had her beat in 
this game, she let her husband follow.  She noted the sway in Ranma's 
hips as she walked; it sometimes disturbed her just how feminine Ranma
was at times - both from Ranma's life and from her own.

"Okay, this is it."  Ranma put her hand on one tree.  It appeared 
fairly solid, while not being so thick as to be difficult to fell.  She
turned back to Akane, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and held out the
axe.  "You want to try it, Akane?"

"Me?"  She'd wanted to do this for a long time, to be honest; however, 
there was always some *man* to take the job from her.  To have Ranma 
trust her with sharp and heavy tools... it was a warm feeling she 
couldn't describe.  "Sure!"  She grabbed the axe and moved to the tree,
her grip like a baseball slugger's.  She was about to swing for the 
fences when a hand grabbed the axe.

"Almost, Akane."  She felt Ranma's body molding her own, opening her 
stance and widening the gap between her hands.  "Now.  When you swing 
the axe, aim for about a foot off the ground.  Make sure the blade end
is what's going to hit the tree.  As you swing, let your hands slide 
along the shaft; let that hand guide it to the tree.  You don't need to
swing it hard; just swing it comfortably, and let gravity handle the 
rest."

Akane's blush worsened.  It almost felt naughty for Ranma to be 
breathing instructions into her ear.  "Um... uh... okay."  She swung 
the axe, making sure to follow what Ranma had said.  She couldn't help 
but smile when the axe embedded several inches into the tree - just 
where she wanted it to be.  

"Okay.  Keep on doing it until the tree starts to fall over.  You don't
want to shift sides, this time; you're facing the right way for it to 
fall."

"I know, Ranma..."  She pulled it out and swung again, repeating the 
process over and over.  She would not rush, she would not overdo it...
she would take it easy, and eventually defeat both this tree and - her 
greatest enemy - her impatience.  It would come down eventually; all 
she needed to do was be ready.  She smiled when she heard the first 
snaps of failing wood, a smile that broadened to a full grin as the 
tree toppled down in the clearing outside.  She turned back around, to 
where her husband stood.

"Not bad, Akane.  You're learning."  She hefted an axe of her own, and 
walked the length of the tree.  "Now for the hard part."

Akane blinked.  "The hard part?"

She didn't like the malicious glow to Ranma's eyes...

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

"Leave me, Ranma.  Let me die."

Ranma looked down at her wife, unable to resist the chuckles that 
begged to be released.  Playfully, she kicked Akane in the leg.  "Come 
on.  A little workout like that?  I could take down the whole forest!"

Akane groaned, and covered her hands with her eyes.  "You're mean, 
Ranma."

"And you've been lax in your training," Ranma retorted.  She sat 
herself down on the floor.  "You've been spending too much time 
studying, I think.  You would never have been wiped out by a couple of 
trees before..."  

"You sound like your father," Akane croaked.  "So single minded.  
Always ranting about the Art...huh?"  Akane's eyes shot open.  "What 
are you doing, Ranma?"

Strong arms turned her on her back; she winced at the unnecessary 
movement.  Small, sensitive hands bored into her flesh; this time, the
pain felt *good*, almost seductive.  Unconsciously, she let out a 
contented purr.

"Mmmmmm... Now I remember why I married you..."  She closed her eyes, 
letting Ranma's fingers become her entire world.  Memories buffeted her
with each touch, nights when Ranma would *love* her, treating her body 
to a sensual experience beyond anything that could be considered 'sex'.
This was a sharing, a melding of selves that most couples could never 
have the intimacy to obtain.  

But for Ranma, it wasn't enough.  What was it about that thing between 
a man's legs that defined him so?  To Freud, it was everything; its 
loss was what every man feared, and its gain was what every woman 
desired (yeah, right!).  Too many men, Ranma included, agreed with him.
Many, if given the choice between death or emasculation, would readily
choose the former.

"You're tensing up."

"Huh?"  Ranma's voice shook her out of her reverie.  

"Um... nothing."  She tried to relax, to get back into the massage; 
Ranma's work helped put her in the mood.  Her mind drifted away from 
the psychology... into something more... more...

"Ranma?"  Her husband's ministrations stopped, no doubt in surprise as 
to the tenseness of her muscles.

"Yes?"

Akane pushed into a crawl position.  "Lie down."  

"Huh?"  This time, it was Ranma's turn to be startled.  

"Let me do you.  I did a lot today, but you did so much more.  Come on;
a massage will do you some good."

Ranma looked around nervously.  "Um... no thanks, Akane.  I really 
don't need it."

Akane sat up, and crossed her arms.  "Okay, Rama, on one condition."

Ranma blinked.  "What?"

Akane smiled like a panther.  "You tell me the real reason why you 
don't want a massage from me."

Ranma closed her eyes.  "Well, I'm afraid an ox like you..."  Her words
died on her lips in Akane's stare.  "Well... I..."

"You're just afraid, Ranma.  Admit it."

Ranma backed away from her.  "Well... yes."

Akane moved forward.  "Why?  I'm your wife!  What are you afraid of?"

Ranma's lips moved slowly; he watched as a tear fell down her cheek.  
"Because... I am no longer your husband.  Not like this."

"Liar," Akane spat.  "Nobody but the ma... the person I love would have
done that for me."  Her eyes screamed for Ranma to say it, to give 
in...

"I never stopped loving you, Akane.  But we can't... I can't give you 
what you need.  You need a man, Akane, someone who can give you a real
family."  Ranma stared at her hands, as if she could will her manhood 
back.  "I can't do that - not anymore."

Akane's eyes bore through her.  "Ranma, that isn't what I need - not by
a longshot.  What I need is you."

Ranma shook her head.  "But I'm not me anymore, Akane."

Akane smiled, and offered her hand.  "Will you at least allow me to try
to prove you wrong?"

Ranma rolled her eyes, as though asked the impossible.  "Sure, Akane.  
If you want to try... I won't stop you."

Akane reached up, and kissed Ranma on the cheek.  "Thank you, Ms. 
Saotome.  I'm sure you won't regret it."

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

Akane had thought yesterday was bad.

She was wrong.  Her muscles had ached yesterday; they *hurt* on this 
morning.  Her arms felt like they were made of stone; her chest, such 
as it was, felt like a lead weight.  She thought about going back to 
sleep... however, a cursory glance around the room convinced her that 
that would be a bad idea.

Ranma was up.  If Ranma was active, then that meant that she had to be 
there.  The only way she was going to get her back was by needling her,
every hour of every day, slowly tearing down her walls of pride.  
Eventually, if she was persistent, an opening would make itself 
known... and she would have to take advantage of it.

She rose to a sitting position; all of a sudden, those aching arms 
didn't seem so fragile.  Getting to her feet, she wrapped a coat around
herself, and stepped outside.  Ranma was out there somewhere, and she 
had to follow.

"Stop.  Don't go any further."

She stopped.  Plum leaned against the small hut, watching the fog over 
the pools.  

Akane frowned.  "Is Ranma out there?"

Plum nodded.  "She's trying to communicate with Jusenkyo.  Personally, 
I don't think it's going to work this time; it's expecting results from
her, not more questions."

"Results?"  Akane frowned.

Plum stared back at her quizzically.  "You really don't know what's out
there, do you?"

Akane shrugged.  "Not really.  I mean, Ranma's told me some, but I've 
never really experienced it firsthand."

Plum pointed out to the springs.  "Jusenkyo was created a long time 
ago, back in an age when magic was far more common than it is now.  
Nobody really knows why; my guess is a few mages got drunk one night 
and had some fun with the area as a result.  At any rate, according to 
our records, it was actually pretty benign for most of its existence.  
But now..."

"Now?"  Akane didn't like the idea of 'now'.

"Now it's getting forceful.  It wants something - I don't know what - 
and for some reason Ranma's at the center of it."  Her dark eyes, 
unusually serious for a dozen years, eyed Akane slyly.  "And you want 
to pull her back from that?"

Akane frowned.  Usually, doing the impossible was Ranma's stock in 
trade; still, if she had to learn from anyone...  "Yes.  Ranma's mine. 
And I'm not going to let Jusenkyo take him away from me.  If I have to 
have him as a girl... I'll have him as a girl."

Plum smiled.  "Thank you, Akane."

"For what?"

The young woman grabbed Akane's hand, and gave a gentle squeeze.  "For 
proving to me that sometimes fairy tales do happen."

Akane couldn't help but giggle at that comment.  "True.  I just wish 
the 'happy ever after' bit would come."  She shuffled her bare feet 
against the grass.

"Plum?"

The girl crossed her arms.  "Yes?"

"A hypothetical question for you."

Plum raised an eyebrow.  "Hypothetical?"

Akane nodded.  "Take a hypothetical girl.  Now, this girl has a crush 
on an equally hypothetical boy.  They both live in the area, and want 
to be alone together for awhile... to do the things boys and girls do 
when they're first learning about romance.  Now where would they go to 
be alone?  Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Plum grinned like a Cheshire cat, an effect all the more startling in 
the fog.  "Well... those woods you were in yesterday were a good place.
Hypothetically, of course."

Akane grinned.  "Of course."  She turned back to the hut.  "I'm going 
to start breakfast."

"Okay."  Plum winked at her.  "And if you see some hypothetical 
carvings in a tree with my characters and those of a farmer boy nearby,
ignore them.  They're just hypothetical, anyway."

"Okay."  Akane's eyes sparkled; a plan was beginning to form.  "I 
will."

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

There was something about a picnic that seemed to relax Ranma.  Perhaps
it was the combination of good food and better surroundings that 
brought this peace to her; perhaps it was the company she kept.  At any
rate, this was the life; this was the peaceful aspect of the existence 
she preferred.  

She lay down on the grass, and stared up through the trees.  Akane was 
proud of her cooking now; she had reason to.  She had done an excellent
job with unfamiliar ingredients, and made a local lunch worthy of 
Kasumi.  Ranma reveled in the feeling of a full stomach; it was one she
rarely had, anymore.

"Ranma?"  Akane's voice rang like a song.

"Yes?"

Akane bit her lip.  She had been acting strangely all day; Ranma 
wondered what was on her mind.  "Um... I was wondering if we could 
talk."

Ranma sighed.  She knew *that* statement.  Still, there was no getting 
around it; Akane would follow her to Hell itself, if she had to.  
"About what?"

"What are you really afraid of?"

Ranma closed her eyes.  It was going to be one of *those* talks.  "I...
why should I tell you?"

"Because I married you?"  Akane crossed her arms.  "Because you need to
get it out?"

Ranma sat up.  "Okay.  What are you afraid of?"

"I asked you first," Akane retorted.  

"But it's your question.  If you're afraid to answer it, why should I?"

"Well..."  Akane sighed, and sat down next to her.  A chill went down 
Ranma's spine as Akane touched her hand.  "I... I'm afraid of a lot of 
things.  I'm afraid of dying, Ranma; my mother was so young when she 
died, and a part of me's terrified I'll end up like her.  I'm also 
afraid of being alone, Ranma.  I've always had someone there, whether 
it was Mom or Kasumi; I'm so afraid that I'll be left alone."  She took
a deep breath.  "But most of all... I'm afraid of losing you.  You... 
you're a part of me, Ranma, a part that I couldn't bear to lose.  And 
now it feels like you're shutting me out."

"Akane..."  Ranma sat there, mouth agape.  It had been a long time 
since they needed words to communicate; now, they came forth in a 
verbal torrent.  "I..."

"So now you know.  Why I try so hard."  She closed her eyes; a tear 
rolled down her cheeks.  "Why I'm so scared."

Ranma licked her lips nervously.  Anything she would say would seem 
cheap by comparison.  "Well... I'm scared of losing what I have left.  
I've lost so much, Akane.  I've lost most of my friends, either through
death or through arguments.  I can't be the husband you want me to be, 
Akane; I can't be the man you want me to be.  There's so little of me 
left..."

Akane inched closer.  "Ranma?"

"Yes?"  

"You're so wrong."  Akane caressed her cheek; her hand surreptitiously 
moved down to Ranma's neck.  "You have so much... please let me show 
you..."

"Akane... I'm sorry.  I can't.  If I let go, then..."

"Then what?"  Akane's eyes blazed at her; she could see the passion 
inside.  "Well?  What could you lose that would be worth more than what
you could gain?"

Ranma paused.  "I... Akane, I know what you're asking.  I don't know if
I'm ready for that.  Please, give me some time to deal with it."

Akane's hand moved down, stopping just above Ranma's cleavage.  
"Ranma... I understand.  But please hurry.  The more you wait... the 
more you lose."  She rose from the ground, and turned away.  "Please 
hurry.  Okay?"

Ranma looked up at her, hoping the fear wasn't showing in her eyes.  
"Akane... okay.  I... I will.  Um... is it okay if you leave me alone 
here for awhile?  I have some things I need to think about."

Akane nodded.  "Okay."  She paused before vanishing into the forest.  
"By the way, Ranma: never forget I love you.  Never forget."

"I won't."  Ranma stared at the place where Akane left her sight, then 
stared up at the sky again.  If she was lucky... maybe it could provide
her with the answer.

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

Five days.

Akane never thought five days could be so long.  Five days ago, 
everything had been put on the line - everything she loved, everything 
she feared.  Love was a risk, and she was still wondering if her gamble
was going to pay off.

Ranma was a ghost, now.  She rarely talked to anyone; most of her days 
were spent communing with the springs, or wandering around the forest. 
Her eyes were all that spoke of what went on inside; the test in front 
of her would define everything between them.  And all she could do was 
watch.

Sighing, she stewed the broth, noting the unfamiliar spices coming from
it.  Plum was teaching her a few recipes; having heard about her 
reputation, Plum watched her like a hawk, to make sure she didn't do 
anything wrong.  She bristled slightly at that; it had been years since
her cooking had that effect, but her reputation was too well-known for 
anyone to take chances.  She did have to admit it did have an 
advantage; she wasn't alone.

"Plum?"  She sampled the stew; it had a surprisingly bitter taste to 
it.

"Hmmm?"

Akane backed away from her cooking; it could sit for a few minutes.  
"Why is this happening?"

Plum blinked.  "Why is what happening?"

Akane bit back more choice responses, remembering Plum's home and 
origins.  "All this stuff with this curse.  Why is it putting us 
through all this?"

Plum sighed.  "Father always referred to them as 'very tragic stories'.
He always hated what the curses did to people - and with good reason.
It's like putting coal under pressure; either a diamond would come out 
of it... or just a lump of dust."  She looked downward, playing with 
the hem of her shorts as she did so.  "He hated watching people torn 
apart by the curse."

Akane licked her lips.  "And you?  How do you feel?"

"I..."  Plum looked out the window, to the pools outside.  "I'm too 
much of a romantic; I still dream of princes on white horses.  And... 
all too often, those princes have to spend time as frogs first."

"Or women?" Akane added.

"Or women."  Plum giggled.  "After all, how better to understand their
princesses...?"

For the first time in too long, Akane laughed.  "True.  Very true."  
She added ruefully, "Though I do wish she wasn't so well-built..."

Plum grinned, then looked downward.  Akane knew that look; it was the 
hope that just a little more would come before the end.  She remembered
times when she found herself wondering how her body would turn out; 
ironic that she was both proud of her body, and yet outclassed at the 
same time.

"Akane?"  Plum's whisper broke through the thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Whatever happens... don't give up on Ranma.  She's got the strength to
get through this... but you have to give her some time.  For the first 
time, she's trying to listen to what Jusenkyo is trying to tell her.
When she hears... be ready."

Akane bit her lip.  "Will she be the same as she always was?"

Plum chuckled.  "There's no guarantee that you'll be the same as you 
were.  About all I can say is that, if your love is strong enough, that
will bring you through anything."

"Heh."  Akane scooted over to the fire.    "You're a hopeless romantic,
you know that?"  She stirred the stew, noting its thickness.  "Love 
doesn't work that way, Plum.  I wish it did, believe me... my life 
would have been a lot less crazy if it were."

A chorus of giggles came in reply.  Plum moved next to the fire, 
comparing the results to her own.  "Um... Akane?"

"Yeah?"

Plum tasted the stew, then smiled.  "Love *does* work that way.  You 
just haven't seen it happen yet."

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

"You wanted to see me?"

Ranma heard the voice; it seemed strangely distant to her ears.  "Yes,"
she answered quietly.  "I.. I need to know if what I'm planning is 
right."

The Jusenkyo guide walked up to her.  He sat down cross-legged next to 
her, a foot away from the springs.  "You know what you need to do.  
Correct?"

Every emotion she could imagine passed through her; if it was this bad 
now, how could she go through it?  "Y...yes.  Thing is, I... I don't 
know if I can.  This is... not going to be easy for either of us."

The Guide nodded sagely, listening more than talking.  "Who are you 
more afraid for - you, or Akane?"

Another familiar emotion passed through her - shame.  "I always said 
that it was for Akane, that I didn't care about myself.  That she could
never adjust to the idea of having a woman for a husband, and that it 
would be too much of a burden for her."  

She reached into the springs and cupped the water; there was nothing 
more it could do to her.  "Unfortunately, that was only partially true.
I... I am still a man inside.  If I do this... there really will be no 
going back.  And I like who I was; I liked being a man.  But... that 
man has to die tonight."  She looked back at the guide, hoping he could
read her fear.  "All I ever wanted was a cure for this.  But there is 
no cure - is there?"

The guide shook his head.  "Not unless Jusenkyo wishes."

Ranma nodded.  "Then I have no choice.  I can't get out; all I can do 
is go forward."  She licked her lips nervously.  "One question, 
though."

"Yes?"

"You know all the stories about this place, right?"  She looked across
the valley, her eyes stopping at every pool of sorrow.  Some were 
springs she knew; others she had no idea.  "You know about all the 
people that had this, right?"

The guide followed Ranma's eyes.  "Most.  Why?"

"What happened to most of the guys who fell in the Nyannichuan?  The 
ones that weren't allowed to get out?"

The guide smiled, and pulled the cap over his eyes.  "Those that 
survived found love of one kind or another.  I cannot say more; the 
rest you will find out for yourself."

"Mysterious as ever, eh?"  Ranma got up, and looked to the guide's 
abode.  "Tell Akane I'll be waiting for her in the forest.  I trust 
she'll know where."

"So it begins?"  She watched the movement of the guide's Adam's apple;
if he was nervous, she definitely had a right to be.  Ignoring the 
feelings building up inside, she pushed herself up on her feet.

"It begins."  Ranma looked down at herself; she wasn't smiling.  Deaths
usually were not pleasant affairs, after all.  "And ends, too."

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

The forest swallowed Akane into its belly; trees engulfed her, 
sheltering her from the light, turning the bright of day into the 
darkness of evening.  It was truly a magical place; no creation of 
nature could be this perfectly mysterious, this concealing.  The 
branches moved to grab her, to hold her in their midst and keep her 
there.  She ignored their claws, and moved inward, seeking the prize. 
She knew the place she searched for, as she had admired its beauty, and
had secretly hoped to see it again.  

The light that had so entranced her the first time beckoned again; this
time, though, there was a figure standing in the middle, a person who 
was once her husband, but was now much more.  She seemed more 
apparition than solid, as the light shone on her bare skin.  A red 
cloth covered her more important areas, though it was quite obvious she
didn't plan on hiding them for long.  Akane gulped; for the first time,
she knew the test they both faced.

She only hoped she was ready for it.

It took a steeling of courage before she was able to walk into the 
light.  Her eyes saw more clearly the scene before her: a blanket 
covered the ground, a perfect place for their rejoining, and clothes 
and other supplies were piled at the edge of the clearing.  She held 
her breath when Ranma turned her way; her blue eyes sparkled in the 
sunlight.  

"Hello, Akane."

Akane looked Ranma up and down.  And up.  And down.  "Is this your 
response?"

Ranma nodded; Akane couldn't help but notice how slender her neck was.
"Akane... I am being called by Jusenkyo to do this.  I am no longer a 
man; they have decreed that I must live, at least in part, as a woman."
She dropped the blanket.  "Will you have me?"

Akane gaped.  Ranma's body had changed since that day years ago, when 
they had first met.  The perfect woman's form was marred with a 
warrior's scars; shapely legs led to round, childbearing hips, which in
turn led to a wasp waist, full, firm breasts, and culminated in a face
which spoke of every emotion buried in a female heart.  

Ranma had transformed, in ways that Akane had never imagined.  

"Well?"  The question had so amazed her that she'd forgotten to answer.
Akane walked further into the light, her hand moving forward all the 
time.  There were no words that could give her answer, no poetry that 
could convey what she felt.  Only a touch; she grasped Ranma's chin, 
then slid the hand down to her shoulders.

"Ranma... I will always love you.  Always."  She slipped her free hand
to her shirt, and began unbuttoning.  

"Wait."  Ranma grasped Akane's hand.  "This is something we do slowly. 
This... I fully expect to be busy all evening."  Her blue eyes sparkled
as she removed her hand; was she trying to be seductive?  "You can 
unbutton it, if you like..."

Akane's hands were shaking as she unfastened her shirt; if anything, 
Ranma's words had made her even more nervous.  She was worse than on 
their honeymoon; at least then it had been something she'd expected for
awhile.  It took longer than she'd expected, anticipation building with
each button.  Once done, she snapped the bra off, leaving her top half
exposed to the world.

"Well, it's not like you haven't seen it before."  She couldn't get her
other clothes off fast enough; shoes and socks became glued to her 
feet, the skirt zipper stuck, and the panties tangled at her feet.  The
latter proved too much for her, as she stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Owww..."

Ranma bent downward.  "Are you okay?"  She held Akane in her arms, a 
position Akane fully noted.

"Yeah."  She looked down at the panties around her ankles, then banged
her fist against the ground.  "Of all the stupid... klutzy..."

"Akane?"

Akane looked up.  She blinked at the voice; she so rarely heard Ranma 
talk so softly.  

"Be still."

She blinked; something had come alive inside of Ranma.  Something 
that... well... knew her better.  "O...Okay."  She kicked her panties 
off, leaving nothing between them but air.  "So... do we just lie here 
for awhile?"

Ranma just smiled at her.  "Close your eyes, Akane, and relax."  Akane 
did so, expecting a kiss of some sort.  She pursed her lips, just as 
she'd always done.  Ranma released her gently from the embrace; what 
was she planning, anyway?

The truth became known a second later, with a gentle brush against her 
eyelids.  She was about to cry out, then realized what was happening as
 the touch glided down her face, etching each line there.  A smile came
 to her lips as the soft fingertips glided along her lips; similarly, 
she found herself swallowing as Ranma's hand moved from the face 
downward, to more rarified regions.

Ranma always was good at exploring her body; now, with small, sensitive
fingertips that seemed charged with electricity, the exercise seemed 
twice as sensual.  She gasped aloud as Ranma's fingertips explored her 
breasts; Ranma played her like a harp, each touch sending her close to
screaming without causing her one iota of discomfort.  That area ended 
too soon for her... though thoughts like that went very quickly out the
window as she moved further downward.  

This was what she was expecting, after all.  Ranma would drive her to 
passion with her touch, then go for the center of it all with her 
hands.  She was doing an excellent job so far; she felt so warm inside,
and her sex was moist with anticipation.  Ranma's fingertips went down 
through her cleavage, teased her navel for a moment, then moved - to 
her sides.  Akane smiled.  Maybe it was because of her curse, but Ranma
always knew how to build up for things like this.

Akane gasped as eight fingers brushed from her hips down to her nether 
region.  She fought to keep back the scream as Ranma traced a finger 
along her slit, teasing her privates.  Her mind filled with images of 
Ranma diving in, her hand working as much magic inside of her as out, 
making her feel those feelings that were her birthright - and now 
Ranma's adoption.  Ranma's finger outlined each fold of skin, slowly 
going inward with each row, each touch more ecstatic than the last... 

And ended as Ranma traced a finger along Akane's inner thigh and away.

"Hey!  Why'd you stop?"  Akane sat up on her elbows, a frown 
communicating her disappointment.  "It was just getting good!"

Ranma's beatific smile hadn't left her face.  "Akane?"

"Yes?"

The grin turned mischievous.  "Have a little faith.  We do have a long 
night ahead of us."

Akane blinked, then got a long look at her partner.  Ranma stretched 
lazily, her pose dangerously erotic.  It didn't take much to figure out
what she wanted.  Akane flexed her fingers; she hoped they weren't too
calloused from the recent days' work.  

"My turn?"

Ranma smiled an affirmative.  Akane nudged Ranma to a reclining 
position, closed the redhead's eyes, and swallowed.  She was so 
beautiful, so feminine... it was hard to believe her husband was in 
there.  The person inside was trapped, locked inside a world of 
expectations and traditions.

It was up to her to coax that woman out, to let her know she was 
welcome... that, man or woman, she was loved.  Placing her hand over 
Ranma's eyes, she muttered a quiet prayer; there was no doubt from her 
that this would be a night they'd never forget.

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

Two bodies lay entangled underneath blankets; two hearts beat quietly 
against each other.  Moonlight shone on the couple, bathing naked skin 
in its pale light.  Insects - the only animals unafraid of the springs 
- darted around them, smelling nourishment in their skin, playing with 
their noses and ears.  Occasionally, a leaf would fall on the couple, 
adding to the mess formed by the pair.

Moonlight's glow was soon eclipsed, however, as a light came from a 
nearby source: the springs.  It started out slowly at first, a gentle 
glow near the center of the springs, but soon expanded outwards, 
engulfing the entire valley in eldritch daylight.  For anyone who knew,
it was both a call and a warning: Jusenkyo was awake, and it had 
something to do.  

For an instant, the light expanded, engulfing the pair.  One of the 
pair began to glow; her body belonged to the springs, and she had 
progressed to the next level.  It had ceased to be a curse for her; 
she had made the change a part of her.  No longer was she simple man or
 woman, but a creature of light.  It was beings such as these that 
Jusenkyo - nay, the world - needed.  Locking her curse was no longer 
necessary or even desirable; it was time to change her again, to allow
her to use the springs' gift to maximum effect.  When the glow faded, a
male form had replaced the female one.  It would not last for long, of 
course; Jusenkyo was all about change, and he would change again soon 
enough.  Her role, after all, was nowhere near done yet.

However, that wasn't all that needed to be done.  Calling on its magic,
it gave a gentle nudge to the other woman in the group.  It was time, 
after all; the next stage was beginning, and it would happen much 
faster with her help.  The glow of the springs increased; she would 
hear the call, and come.  It was, after all, what was intended.  

Upon closer inspection, it was easy to see why Ranma had chosen her.  
Like him, she was somewhere in between what everyone expected of her -
like the women who had taken up residence nearby had been, before 
getting mired in their own traditions.  She did not follow the typical
traditions of the women from her land; rather, she followed her own 
path, and upheld the traditions of both men and women.  Moreover (and 
perhaps most importantly), she loved, with a heart as untamed as her 
partner's.  If given the magic, it would grow into something wonderful
- as it had in Ranma.

"What do you want?" she called to the light.

Words were a concept invented to simplify concepts, to make them easier
to communicate between hidebound, mindbound people.  The best way to 
show how far she could go was to transcend that language... to 
communicate purely.  It showed the woman-child - Akane - what it 
wanted, and why. 

Her reaction was better than it had hoped.  "W...Why do you want me?  
Is it... is it because of tonight?"  She backed away - one step, two 
steps.  "Why?"

Again, the concepts came, visions of futures to come, of the potential
within them both - and what they both could gain from it.  Some could 
not be said; Jusenkyo did have to keep its secrets, after all.

"You... you want me... so that we can share the curses?  So that we can
be together... like that?"

A glow of affirmation came in reply.

"Why us?  Why can't we just have normal children... a normal life?"  
Akane shut her eyes; the pain of lost dreams could be heard throughout
the valley.  "I... I don't want to be the man... Can't you just leave 
us in peace?"

The images that came in reply were not comforting.  Some bordered on 
armageddon; other hells made death seem a pleasure.

"Is... is it that important?  That critical?"  She swallowed back her 
tears.  "Is my being a man so important?"

The glow came brighter.

She bit her lip; the fears she'd built up were beginning to break down.
"Do you promise not to do to me what you did to Ranma?"

This was something Jusenkyo could not promise.  However, it promised 
the one thing that it always promised.

Change.

Akane swallowed, and clenched her fists.  Fear was written all over her
- fear and anticipation.  "O... Okay, dammit.  For... for Ranma, I 
will.  Now what do I have to do?"

The light glowed, and pointed the way.

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

The first thing Ranma noticed was the empty space next to him.  

Not that he wasn't used to it, of course, but the idea of sleeping and
waking next to Akane had its appeal.  He wasn't surprised by his 
regained masculinity; dreams were Jusenkyo's way of conversing with 
him, and had let him in on what had happened.  He was more concerned 
about Akane - for obvious reasons.

He knew where she was; for some reason, he could point to her like a 
compass.  Making sure to put on a pair of boxers before leaving, he 
ran through the forest to where Akane would be - the springs.

The figure who sat cross-legged at the pool's edge was too much like 
Akane to be anyone else, despite the quite obvious changes he'd gone 
through.  The young man didn't look anything like his father; for some
 reason, he'd been expecting something similar to a Soun clone.  His 
face was more angular than it had been; his skin stretched taut over 
high cheekbones, a small nose, and pale lips.  He was more muscular 
than his husband; the hidden strength he'd held as a woman blossomed 
out into Ryouga-level power in Jusenkyo's gift.  His hairstyle was 
still in a pageboy cut; Ranma would have to get Kasumi to give him a 
more gender-neutral cut when they got home.  There were other, more 
radical changes, but those weren't important.  None of them were.  

After all, they were still Ranma and Akane... partners for life.  He 
could see it in the young man's dark eyes; this was still Akane, still
the person he loved... and who loved her.

"Ranma."  His voice was a deep, rich baritone, though he still spoke 
with a slight lilt.

Ranma looked downward.  "Akane.  You look..."  He fought for the right
word to say.  "... beautiful."

"Beautiful?  Or handsome?"  Akane chuckled.  "I never realized how 
words like that can be so... difficult for you."  He smiled, causing 
Ranma to blush.  "Everything I knew is turned upside down.  All the 
stuff I was taught as a girl doesn't work right now.  Every perception
of my role in life is shattered."  He looked up at Ranma; strangely 
enough, Ranma couldn't see any regret.  "I'm really not sure what to 
think about it.  Part of me's terrified... the other part says this 
isn't that bad.  Of course, with you here... with you here I don't 
care.  Nothing is that bad."

Ranma bent down, and caressed his cheek.  He absently noted the five 
o'clock shadow his partner sported.  "So.  What do we do now?  I mean,
I've kissed boys before, but I've never kissed a real man..."

"Am I a 'real man'?"

Ranma glanced down at Akane's groin.  "Akane, you're better built than
I am.  Of course, if you want to prove it..."

"Prove it?" Akane questioned, then blushed as she realized.  Her arms 
went down to discreetly cover certain parts.  "Oh.  PROVE it.  Do you 
mean... like we are now, or with you changed?"

Ranma shrugged.  "Akane, do you know why I did what I did last night?"

Akane shook her head.  "Not really.  I do know I enjoyed it - a lot - 
but I didn't know why it had to be like that.  It was a half-hour 
before I even started on you..."

Ranma took a deep breath.  "Akane, I wanted to show you that sex wasn't
dependent on what form I was in - or, for that matter, what form you're
in.  Love, when it's done right, is a sensual experience between two 
people by enjoying each other's company.  It's... it's a sharing of 
souls."  Ranma cupped Akane's chin.  "And, right now, I want to share 
in yours some more."  With that, his lips made contact with hers.  

The first thing he noticed was how different Akane's mouth felt.  His 
teeth were larger than before, and his tongue was just as strong as the
rest of him.  His hand reached out to Akane's chest, to steady himself;
he didn't mind the rock-hard muscle he grasped.  Akane felt just as 
good as a man as he did as a woman, and he planned on enjoying as much
of him as possible.

The kiss broke off a minute later; the two just looked at each other 
breathlessly.

"So... should we go back to the clearing?"  

Ranma looked at his own crotch, then back at Akane's.  "Yeah... yes.  
Definitely."  He got up from the ground, and wondered where his hands 
would start this time...

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

Epilogue

Ranma was in heaven.

At least, that's what it felt like.  Her body was still buzzing after 
Akane had made love to her; he had obviously learned his lessons well,
as the act seemed to last forever before it was done.  But ohhhh.... 
did it feel good.  Every cell of her body was exhausted, but it was a 
fatigue that she did not mind one bit.  If she had known what it was 
like, she would have pushed Akane in sooner.  

Akane, unfortunately, was asleep.  The act of intercourse was so much 
more tiring on men; even though she'd seen it from both sides, she 
still wasn't sure why.  Even with her health, she'd always been 
exhausted after acting out the male role; now that Akane played the 
role, he was fast asleep seconds after climax.  This left her alone 
with his warmth - and her thoughts.

There was something odd about all of this.  It didn't feel like it had
last night, when Akane had been female.  Then as now, the orgasms had 
come repeatedly and often; however, this time it felt like a bit of the
climax was staying with her.  She wasn't sure what to think of that...

Her eyes widened, however, when she saw the light spring forth.  
Jusenkyo was almost never this busy; the lights usually came once or 
twice in a decade, not twice in two nights.  Something major had to 
have happened for them to...

Oh.

Oh, my.

Ranma looked down at herself.  Everything that had happened - 
EVERYTHING - now made sense to her.  She could see the light play 
across her skin, coalescing around her lower abdomen.  She knew what 
was happening, could feel a warm glow inside as the magic weaved, 
protected what was inside... and weaved across her skin, protecting 
the rest of her so that nothing could harm her.  

Them.

"This... this isn't permanent, right?"

The feelings she was getting told her no; it would only be temporary.  

"Is... is this why you cursed me?  Is this why I've had to go through 
what I have?  So that I... I..." She rubbed her abdomen; she should be
more afraid than this, but now... it didn't seem to bother her so much.

Jusenkyo rarely gave straight answers; the affirmative it gave was 
about as straightforward as it ever got.

"So that's it?  You want me to have... and then that's it?"

The images that came to mind definitely showed a negative.  Ranma 
couldn't understand most of it; most of it was from a time she had no 
clue about.  She shook her head; what had she gotten herself into?

"O... Okay.  I... I guess I don't have much of a choice in the matter.
But if you even think about messing with this kid like you did us, I'll
show you one of Ryouga's Shishi Houkoudans.  Got it?"

The reaction from Jusenkyo was, at the least, surprising.  It seemed to
be... happy? at Ranma's reaction.  Ranma shook her head, and sighed.

"Okay.  Well... thanks... I think.  Now, do you mind if I get some 
sleep?"

The light faded, leaving Ranma alone.  For some reason, the night felt
a tad colder; she snuggled in closer to Akane, burying herself in his 
chest, letting his warmth comfort her.  It was a nice feeling, to be 
honest, one she could get used to... one she could live the rest of her
life with.

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

Hello.

This was, in a sense, eight months in the making - at least, this part.

Fanfiction is, and always has been, about possibilities.  It is about 
taking roads that Takahashi retreated from, and seeing what these 
characters, when tested, can become.

I got the idea of the curse toying with R&A until they are forced 
together from Iris, and its discussions.  In its aftermath (where I 
learned just how valuable Nomex underwear can be), I got an idea of 
Ranma and Akane struggling in a way similar to Iris, then having the 
coin fall in the opposite way, with the two remaining together.  
Essentially, I wanted to write a 'Ranma-gets-Akane' work that was on my
terms, and no one else's. (Mind you, this is not a wise idea; the last
time someone did that, 'Bitter End' came about).

In the end, I decided to chunk most of the descending conflict, and 
write a lemon instead.  ^_^  The descending angst I'd already written 
in Angel, after all; I had no desire to go back there again.  
Ironically, I found the ending a perfect lead-in to another story idea
I had, one I should be playing around with over the next couple of 
months.  Should be fun...

Anyway, thanks to the prereaders: Richard, Zen, Bast, Gaffo, Doug,
Kevin, andrew, and Kaoru.  

Nicholas Leifker
nightelf@thekeep.org
http://www.thekeep.org/~nightelf/fanfic
July 29, 1999