Ranma and his friends belong to Rumiko Takahashi. They're used here without permission. ------------------------------ newRanma 16: Understanding by Chris Jones ------------------------------ To Ranma's surprise, neither Ukyou nor Akane were as happy as she thought they'd be about Shampoo's departure. It was a pleasant surprise for her that they appeared to miss the girl almost as much as she did, but Ranma did not question their motives. Since Shampoo left Japan to try to help Mousse with his legal problems back in China the days had taken on a thin, expectant quality. Ranma began to have more and more trouble sleeping at night just because she couldn't help but think about how close she was to being through with her ordeal. The day of changing was almost upon her. Time couldn't move quickly enough for Ranma. It felt like the days were flowing as slowly as syrup. One afternoon, Ranma spent a few hours at the Nekohanten soaking up free ramen noodles and getting to know the new waitresses, Tea, Cola, and Soda. All three girls were attractive Amazon warriors. Although they barely spoke Japanese, Ranma knew that the girls were smart, sharp, and skilled. Ranma wondered if there was any way should could spar with them after her restrictions were finally over, without accidentally engaging herself to one of them. Better to leave well enough alone. From time to time, one of the girls would say something in Mandarin that was apparently quite naughty. The other two would blush deeply and giggle at Ranma from across the restaurant. "What are they saying?" Ranma asked Cologne as she pogoed out of the kitchen on her gnarled cane. "Girl-things," Cologne answered. "They're quite taken with the idea of a handsome young martial artist who changes into a pretty girl." "Yeah, that's exactly what I need. Three more girlfriends. No thank you!" "I don't think they're serious about it," Cologne assured her. "Also, they would never dream of trying to take you away from Shampoo." Apparently, they hadn't heard what passed between Ranma and Shampoo at the embassy. "Speaking of which, I figured you'd be back in your village by now. Why are you sticking around here?" Cologne nodded at the girls. "They're three of our best and brightest. Since I needed some new help around here, I decided to give them the opportunity. Besides, there are much better schools and learning opportunities for young women in Japan than there are in China." She laughed out loud. "When I was a girl, all you really needed to dominate your enemies and excel in the world was training in the martial arts. These days, Martial training only goes so far. The world is changing very rapidly. To stay strong and fierce, we must change with it." It was quite a realization. Was Cologne truly moving the center of the Joketsuzoku in order to take advantage of better learning opportunities in Japan? Ranma realized that her home country was probably not the best place in the world to try to get ahead if you were a woman, but China was almost certainly more restrictive. Ranma shook her head. A few weeks ago, she would have disputed what Cologne said. Now she realized that the world was indeed a truly scary and complicated place. She remembered how much fun learning Shiatsu had been. It was something she had never really considered before. Ranma would always be a martial artist, but maybe it wouldn't hurt her to broaden her own horizons a bit. * * * Later that week, Ranma realized that she and Hiroshi were seeing less and less of Daisuke. "We've lost him to a pretty face," Hiroshi lamented Thursday afternoon as he and Ranma were on their way to the manga shop. "Could be worse," Ranma noted. "We could have lost him to several pretty faces. I've been there and it's not that fun." "Sometimes I wish I had your problems, Saotome. I'd probably make them infinitely worse, but it sure would be lot of fun getting in trouble." "Bleh..." In truth, Ranma was more than a little bit concerned about her situation. When she hung out with both boys, it looked a whole lot less like a romantic outing. Now, if she and Hiroshi walked anywhere near each other on the sidewalk, people gave them friendly stares and knowing smiles. It came to a head in the manga shop. Ranma and Hiroshi were discussing the finer points of mecha design in a robot manga, when a couple girls wearing the uniform from a nearby junior-high began to giggle at them. Obviously, they were scandalized by how close the two were standing together or how casually they put their heads together to read the same page. Ranma stiffened. "Damn," Hiroshi whispered. "I didn't think this was going to be a problem. You wanna get out of here?" Ranma exhaled angrily. "No," she stated after several seconds of listening to the quiet giggles and gossip directed at them. "I will not allow my curse to mess with my life like that." Hiroshi shrugged and continued to read. The girls continued to giggle, and even started to follow the pair around, gossiping behind their back. Finally, after Ranma checked out and was about to leave, she got fed up with the situation. With her most vapid expression, she wrapped her arms around one of Hiroshi's and began to fawn all over him. "What are you doing?!" Hiroshi hissed. "Giving them what they want," Ranma whispered into his ear. "Well, stop it!" "Tee hee!" Ranma giggled, bouncing in as cute a manner as she could manage. She stuck her tongue out at the nosy girls and led Hiroshi from the shop. "Did you really have to do that?" Hiroshi asked. His face and ears were burning red. "Just think of it as punishment for staring at my ass all the time," Ranma said. * * * Soun returned from his somber trip at the end of the week. He was happy to be back, and cried when he ate the cookies Kasumi had ready for him. He brought souvenirs back for both his daughters and Ranma. Kasumi got an American cookbook, and Akane got a large stack of maps, illustrated guidebooks, and postcards. She also got a small acrylic model of the Golden Gate Bridge. Ranma got an English language martial arts video. Nabiki got perhaps the most expensive gift, but none of the other girls begrudged her her prize. It was a stack of currency, one piece of each domination of American Currency from a small copper penny to green paper one-hundred dollar note. "No thousand note?" Nabiki asked, gleefully sorting through her new acquisition. "I'm not made out of money, you know," Soun said. Nabiki was apparently lost in contemplation. She held up both a gold colored one dollar coin decorated with the face of an American-Indian princess and the familiar one dollar bill. "Oh, by the way, I'm going to be gone for dinner again," Nabiki said before she went to hide her loot. "Oh?" Soun asked. "Nabiki and Taiyoko have become quite good friends," Kasumi noted. Ranma nodded in agreement, thinking that Nabiki was starting to go out with Taiyoko quite a bit more often. Maybe if she spent more time with her friends, Nabiki would be less interested in romance with Ranma. Ranma wasn't sure if she liked that or not, but thought that it would definitely keep her out of trouble. The next day, Ranma began to wonder about her own parents. They had indicated that it might be awhile before they got back, but Ranma hadn't heard hide nor hair of them in the entire time they had been gone. The next week passed uneventfully, but seemed like it would never end. Ranma felt like she was trapped in concrete. Worse, her anticipation made her jumpy. She started to worry about things that were probably inconsequential. "You don't think I'll have any problem with my head do you?" Ranma asked, staring in the mirror one morning before she left for school. "Of course not, Ranma," Akane said impatiently. "Hurry up, before we're late again!" Ranma noted dimly that Nabiki missed dinner every night that week, and was gone quite late most evenings, but was far, far too concerned with her own problems to really care. In the back of her brain, Ranma knew that in only a few days she'd be able to starting thinking about really doing the kinds of things she wanted to with... with... Ucchan certainly looked good in that bunny suit, Ranma remembered. Akane could be pretty cute when she wanted to. Maybe she'd even think about spending the kind of time with Nabiki that the girl seemed to want after she changed back into a guy. Ranma thought that maybe she should give some thought to trying to figure out what to do about her multiple engagements. Unfortunately for Ranma, it was all she could do to sit still, let alone concentrate on any of her problems. Everything would change again on Friday. It would be a whole new game... a new fight with new challenges. * * * On Thursday, Ranma went to Tofuu's clinic for a checkup. Rather than ushering her inside, however, Tofuu had his clinic locked up and his small economy car running out in front. "What's the deal?" Ranma asked. "I wanted to take you back to the hospital for a CAT-scan and some x-rays," Tofuu explained. "I just wanted to make sure that there are no obvious problems before you change back tomorrow." "There better not be!" Ranma exclaimed. After the quick ride to the hospital, Tofuu guided Ranma through the maze of corridors to the CAT-scan lab. The procedure was relatively quick and painless. The X-rays were also fairly quick. While they were waiting for the results, Tofuu took Ranma into a vacant examination room for a quick physical examination. He had her unfasten her shirt so that he could use a stethoscope, but his manner was quick and professional. "Everything looks to be in order," Tofuu noted absently as Ranma refastened her shirt. "You've grown four centimeters in the last three months." "Really?" "You're still young enough to be growing," Tofuu noted. "It's also possible that your surgery triggered a little bit of a growth spurt. I'm certain that your hormone levels have been fluctuating somewhat as well. If you notice any odd pains in your ribs or long bones, let me know." Ranma nodded. Once the CAT-scan and x-rays were ready, Tofuu pointed out the square cut in Ranma's skull, which was still quite visible despite the fact that it had healed. He said that he thought Ranma would have no problem changing back. He admitted that the Jusenkyou curse was still very much a mystery, but doubted that anything short of having broken or cut bones would ever inconvenience Ranma so much because of it again. Ranma had cleared the last of her hurdles before changing back. * * * Friday morning, Kunou sat alone. Of course he was surrounded by the other students, but didn't really feel like he fit in at all. Usually, he exchanged light banter with Nabiki Tendou, but she had school left early, noting in passing that today was Ranma's special day. Ranma... the pigtailed-girl... had been looking forward to today for months now. Kunou had slowly come to understand that today was the day when she would be freed from the restrictions placed upon her movement by over-careful doctors and surgeons. He remembered Nabiki Tendou's words from that day so many weeks ago when she warned him how much danger his beloved was really in. Then, there was talk of this curse that everybody but him seemed to engage in. Foolish nonsense. Everyone knew that there was no such thing as magic. His mind flashed back to a day more than a decade ago. It played out in his mind, as grainy and distorted as the eight millimeter film his father had captured the memory on: In the film, the little boy watched the magician tie a complicated-looking knot in a piece of white rope. Then he handed the rope to the little boy and gestured to the audience. With his hands on either end of the short rope, the little boy pulled to demonstrate to the audience that yes, indeed, the knot was solid. Then the magician put his hands around the knot and shouted his magical words. When his hands came away, the knot was gone and the rope was suddenly slack. The little boy stared in amazement, examining the rope. He pulled it again, unbelieving. He couldn't understanding how something so magical could have happened right in front of his eyes. To this day, Kunou couldn't grasp how the trick was done. He had learned long ago that there were things he simply couldn't understand. That didn't mean they were magic. Frankly, he was glad that the male Ranma Saotome had chosen to recover from his injuries in isolation. Kunou had gotten to know the pigtailed girl better than ever before. She had even hinted that she considered him to be her friend, even if she was still reluctant to pursue any kind of romantic relationship. Perhaps today would be the day he could help her to see reason, and to finally escape the shadow of Ranma Saotome. Making up his mind, he gathered his things and left a note for the teacher before he left school. * * * Ranma realized she was trembling with excitement as she and some of her closest friends gathered at the Nekohanten. Akane and her sisters were there, as well as Ukyou. Daisuke, Saya, Hiroshi, Sayuri, and Yuka had also come to wish her well. Soun, Tofuu and Cologne chatted near the back of the restaurant, while everyone else was joking around amiably. Ranma looked on happily, but was far, far too nervous to join them. She wondered if the cramps in her stomach were from the nervousness, or her period, which was due to start in just a few days. Either way, it wouldn't be a problem in just a few minutes. The tension Ranma had been building up over months would be done with in a few hundred heartbeats. Earlier in the day, that tension had been almost unbearable. Even Akane seemed keyed up. Ranma remembered how impatient she had been when she changed out of panties and into a pair of boxers for what she hoped was the last time ever. She had almost torn the boxers pulling them over her hips. When she checked her hair, she decided that it had grown out enough in three months. She wouldn't look girly or cute when she changed. All those concerns faded as the minutes clicked by. After a few minutes, Taiyoko walked through the door. "Hey! I didn't expect you to come." The blonde girl embraced Ranma warmly. "I got out of school because I know how important this is to you." She smiled at Ranma and went to sit by Nabiki. Then, to Ranma's surprise, Kunou came through the door. "I really didn't expect you to come," she echoed. "Isn't today your special day?" Kunou asked. "Yeah. Yeah, it is," Ranma replied. Finally, after several minutes, everyone could see a red sports-car pull up outside the Nekohanten. Ambassador Soap entered the shop, carrying a cloth bundle. "That's it, right?" Ranma asked. "No tricks or anything?" "My grandmother might try to trick you from time to time," Soap assured her in an amused tone, "But I'll play it straight." She unwrapped the Kaisufu and handed the magical kettle to Ranma. "I have some hot water in the kitchen," Cologne said. "Let me get it." "I'll help you," Kasumi volunteered. Ranma waited, fidgeting impatiently. She felt like everyone was staring at her, but she really didn't care anymore. All she wanted was to pour hot water over her head and wash away her cursed body. "So what are you looking forward to most, Ranma?" Hiroshi asked lamely. "Being able to stand up when I take a piss," Ranma said. There were probably things she would like to do with her male body more, maybe something with one of the girls perhaps, but she couldn't talk about that in public. For a second, Ranma wondered where her parents were. Her mother said that she wanted to see Ranma change back. Ranma was a little saddened because she and Genma were going to miss it. "Are you ready?" Cologne asked. Kasumi walked into the dining room carrying a bucket full of steaming water. Ranma held the magical kettle out eagerly. Cologne cleared her throat. "The water has to be in contact with the Kaisufu and your body at the same time. If you pour slowly--" "I have done this before," Ranma noted. "Pour, Kasumi," she pleaded. Suddenly, the door burst open. Ranma turned, but put a hand on the bucket of warm water just in case. "GROWF!!!" "Pops!" "Wait, Ranma!" Nodoka said, running into the shop. At least Ranma thought it was her mother. The woman was wearing a short chengosam and cloth shoes. Her hair was wrapped up in a scarf, but Ranma recognized her mother's face. She looked good, like she had gotten a lot of exercise recently. Younger, even. "Mom?" "GROWF!!" The panda began hurriedly scribbling on a sign. The woman ran over to Ranma and pecked her on the cheek. She brushed aside a curl of red hair that poked out from underneath the woman's scarf. "I'm sorry we're so late, Ranma-chan. Please go ahead." Wait a second. Red hair? 'QUICKLY!' Genma's sign read. Ranma nodded, and upended the now-full Kaisufu over her head. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the first droplet fell down from the kettle. Years later, Ranma would remember that it seemed to fall for an eternity before it splashed on her nose. There was wetness, and an intense pain in her head. She could briefly feel the bones in her skull shifting to accommodate the newly-healed bone. And then Ranma dropped the kettle on the wet floor... And looked around at everyone who was staring in wonder, or happiness, or appreciation... And jumped into the air and screamed like a maniac... Because Ranma Saotome was back. "YEEEEEESSSSS!" Ranma shouted, shaking *his* fists in the air above *his* head. He laughed out loud and began to dance around. Nodoka hugged him, wrapping her arms around him, and bussing him noisily on the cheek. "I'm so happy for you, my son." Ranma was still too happy for any kind of real speech, so settled for returning his mother's embrace. 'HURRY, NO-CHAN,' the panda's sign read. 'WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT.' "What ever is the matter?" Kasumi asked. "Nothing!" Nodoka said, a little too quickly. Her hand went to the knot of the scarf underneath her chin, making sure that it was still fastened securely. "Ranma," she hastily amended. "I know it sounds strange, but if anyone comes looking for your father and myself, we will be in..." 'VENEZUELA,' Genma wrote. "Uh, right. I love you Ranma. We'll see you soon." "GROWF! GROOOWFF!" With that, his mother and father-turned-panda ran back out the door. Then the party began. It wasn't even seriously interrupted when a small band of ninjas came into the Nekohanten demanding to know where the red-headed woman and her panda had gone. "Red-head and a panda?" Ranma asked, shaking his head. "No clue. Haven't seen them." "They went to Venezuela," Akane said. "Akane!" Nabiki chided. "You don't give away information like that for free." Then, she and Taiyoko both collapsed into a fit of giggles. With a sick expression on his face, Tatewaki Kunou got up from his seat and walked out of the Nekohanten. * * * Kunou wandered around town for some time. His mind was empty. The problem was, if he thought too hard, what he saw came back to him. If he didn't consciously force it from his mind, it played out over and over again. Ranma upended the kettle over her head. Before the water hit her face, she was the beautiful pigtailed girl he knew and loved. After the water hit her face, there was Ranma Saotome, holding the kettle above his head. He had seen the illusion before, of course, but never so closely. There were too many details that were too perfect-- the way Ranma's clothes stretched to cover a larger frame or the way the boy had to adjust his stance slightly to account for a larger base. Then there was the kettle. It didn't bob any at all as it was held above the magically changing martial artist. If Kunou had been paying attention to just the kettle, he would have sworn that it never changed hands. The really unbelievable part was that everyone around Kunou, including Ranma's mother, treated the two as if they were truly the same person... just like both Ranma and the pigtailed girl claimed was the case all along. Kunou was certain that this could not be the case! There was no such thing as magic. It must have a reasonable explanation. It must! Even if he could not understand it, it must. What explanation was there for what Kunou had seen? It was well after dark by the time Kunou approached his home. He let himself in the gate and strode along the wooden path to the training yards behind his family's mansion. He found a tree stump near the small artificial river that ran through the Kunou's property, and sat on it. He concentrated, trying to keep the images out of his mind. Kodachi's crocodile started to climb up out of the stream towards him, but Kunou glared at it darkly enough to send it scurrying back into the safety of the murky water. "You feel like talking about it?" Kunou stood and spun, drawing his bokken. Ranma-- the male one-- was standing on a tree limb above Kunou. The pigtailed boy, dropped, grabbed the limb with one hand, and turned a graceful somersault before landing on the ground in front of Kunou. He staggered as he landed, almost losing his balance. "Damn. I am so out of shape. I'm gonna spend the next twelve weeks doing nothing but sparring and training. Maybe you should attack me. You probably have a pretty good chance of beating me right now." "Leave here at once!" Kunou commanded. "If you really want me to," Ranma said. "You were happy to see me here a few days ago." "That wasn't you!" Kunou accused. Ranma shook his head sadly, and took several steps away. He leaned casually on a tree. "I really don't know why I'm doing this. If you still don't believe what you saw, then I guess there's no hope of ever convincing you." "Then why are you troubling me like this?" Kunou asked sadly. "Why must you torment me so?" "And you weren't tormenting me when you kissed me?" Ranma stuck out his tongue and gagged. "Gyahh! I can't believe I just said that." Kunou paled. "Even if you were to convince me, I know there's no such thing as magic! You won't fool me." "You know, I thought there wasn't any such thing as magic a few years ago. My dad had done enough 'magic' tricks on people's money or their food to convince me. When I fell in that damned spring everything changed. If magic's got a smell, I stink of it right now." "No! There's a logical explanation. I can't... There no way I could..." "Have fallen in love with a guy?" Ranma asked seriously. Kunou was shaking. His face was full of anger and outrage. "I thought that might be it. As a matter of fact, I guess that's why I came. I know what it's like to be confused, mostly because I've been confused as hell the last few months. I've been second guessing myself and suffering like anything because I wasn't sure what... or even *who* I was. Believe me," he laughed, "you ain't the first guy to fall in love with me. You ain't even the first guy to try to kiss me. Why with this body--" Ranma walked over to the creek and used his foot to splash up a spray of water. "--with this body, I'd even fall in love with me," she finished. Kunou froze. Ranma's voice just rose up in pitch to become the familiar voice of his beloved. There was no switching of places. No trick. No illusion. "So... do you believe now?" Ranma asked. Kunou turned and sat back down on his stump, his face buried in his hands. "When I was a little boy," the kendoist started quietly. "My dear mother took Kodachi and myself to a public library. There was a free magic show that day. Mother had grown up very poor, so she thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to entertain her children. We could have hired a magicians to perform every day, but she took us to that particular show. While we were there, the magician performed a certain trick. He tied a knot in a rope and made me pull on it to show that it was fast. Then he made the knot disappear while I was still holding the rope. It was magic. I thought it was magic, at least. I was terrified. Even to this day, I still cannot fathom that illusion. As my mother told me, that does not mean it was any less a trick." Ranma put a finger to her chin in thought. After a few seconds, she sat down next to Kunou and began to pull at the waist of her pants. She untied the cord that held them up, and worked over it for several seconds, tying an intricate knot. Finally, she held it up. Wordlessly, Kunou took either end. He pulled. Sure enough, the knot held. "And... voila," Ranma said, pressing one short length of rope back through the knot while Kunou was still holding it. The knot came undone in Kunou's hands. "It's a kind of slipknot," Ranma explained. "It won't budge if it can pull on that one piece, but the second you pull it out of the rest of the knot, it comes open. It's kinda like a lynch pin." She took the rope back away from him and tied it back around her pants. "There's magic, and then there's... *magic*," she said, standing and gesturing at her own body. "I want to be your friend," she said after walking around Kunou's training yard for a second. "You're an asshole sometimes, but that's true for everybody. I can't be your friend as long as you believe that someday you're gonna 'free me from Ranma'. You can't treat me one way when I'm a guy, and then another when I'm a girl." Kunou stared into her face wordlessly. "If you're wondering," Ranma said, "--and I don't think you are, but I feel the need to say it anyway-- I'm still a guy. Up here, if nowhere else," she elaborated, pointing at her head. "I like girls. I'm sorry if my body made me lead you on. I can never love you. Not as a girl. Not as a guy. Sorry." The two stood in silence for several minutes. "Now that I can finally do everything I want to again, I'm gonna need some training partners," Ranma said. "Lots of em, probably. It's gonna take me a while to get back in shape. You wanna fight me from time to time? We could probably both use the practice." "I will consider that... Ranma," Kunou replied quietly. Ranma grinned. She turned and ran. High above, on the roof of the Kunou mansion, a pair of eyes looked down where the scene had just taken place below. They followed Ranma as she ran towards the wall, and then vaulted it. Then they followed Kunou as he tiredly trudged up towards the building. The crack of a ribbon sounded out, and then there was nothing. ----- ~to be continued... Plane tickets to the U.S. - Room, board and souvenirs for two weeks - $350 One of each kind of currency up to $100 - $189.91 Knowing that your daughter isn't going to extort you for even more? - Priceless