Ranko shifted slightly as her drowsiness receded. Still half asleep, she pulled closer to the warmth she lay against. Moments later her eyes opened slowly, taking in the soft glow of the tent as it was lit from without. Shifting her gaze to that which she held in her embrace her eyes met with an affectionate if hesitant look in return.
She smiled broadly and her eyes glittered with happiness when Ranma's eyes lost the hesitance they had held as he smiled softly back. She felt like crowing in delight. Ranma always seemed to awaken before her and this was the first time that he had not moved to extricate himself before she could fully awaken. Suppressing her impulse, she simply hugged him tightly for a moment before releasing him, intending to climb from the bedroll.
She was startled when he did not release her. Instead he pulled her closer. "Ranko-chan, hold on, 'kay?"
She smiled and snuggled in closer, resisting the urge to lean in and give him a kiss. She had decided to allow their relationship to progress at his pace, now that he had admitted to wanting her. That didn't always make it easy, though.
"What are we gonna do about Garou?" Ranma queried.
Ranko sighed inaudibly, subtly disappointed that Ranma had not held her there for more romantic reasons. Still, it was an improvement that he was willing to discuss this with her while in a position that would have had him red with embarrassment when they first met.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, uhm... we gotta keep training, but what's he gonna think when we go cat? I mean, we don't know him or nothin'. Shouldn't we like... make sure we can trust him first?"
"Hmmm... I guess you're right, Ranma. At least, we should get him transformed back to human and find out why he wanted to come with us."
"So... how we gonna do it?"
"Hot water?" Ranko was a bit perplexed. Surely Ranma hadn't forgotten already?
"Yeah, I know that," retorted Ranma, smirking, "but he refused it when we offered last time. Look, I figure he doesn't want to do it in front of you, okay?" Ranko nodded but said nothing as Ranma continued, "On the other hand, he could be one of the enemies, for all we know, trying to split us apart to take us on. So, I figured maybe we could discuss it, then I'll send you away to get him transformed after offering some of my clothes so he won't have an excuse. You head out then work around to the other side of camp and watch from the treetops. That way, if he tries anything, wham! We smash him."
Ranko nodded, grinning. "Sure, Ranma, that makes sense. Though with your luck, and considering when he showed up, my bet is that he's not one of our enemies, but one of your father's. Who knows, maybe he's another fiance."
Ranma grimaced. "Echh, that's disgusting. Then again, that's what I thought Genma was doing when Fey showed up. No, hell, that is what Genma was doing... I'm just lucky it ain't what Fey was doing."
"Heh. Come on, let's find out what's up with this wolf."
---
"Ryouga!?" Ranma stared at the shame-faced youth climbing out of his tent, wearing a set of Ranma's older clothes.
"Yeah... I..."
"How ya been, man! I sure wasn't expecting to see you out here. I'm sorry about the match, but my old man wouldn't let me wait any longer. I did wait three days, ya know." Ranma grinned good-naturedly, feeling immensely relieved that the wolf had turned out to be someone with a good reason for wanting to go with Ranma without needing to be either an enemy or one of Genma's screw-ups.
Ryouga grimaced. "Yeah, I saw the signs of a fight there, and the neighbors told me you waited..."
"So what are you doing here? And how'd you end up at Jusenkyou?" Ranma queried, then blanched suddenly. "Uh, sorry, forget I asked," Ranma said, looked down at his hands. "Damnit," he thought angrily to himself, "why can't I stop putting my foot in my mouth?"
Ryouga stared at him in utter shock, not noticing Ranko's approach. Ranma... Ranma had just apologized? Ranma, ever arrogant and clueless Ranma, had just realized, without waiting for a reaction, that he'd put his foot in his mouth?
Ryouga looked up as Ranko plopped to the ground near them and he blushed deeply and clamped his hand to his nose. As a wolf his line of sight had been low enough that he hadn't really looked at her form, particularly since with his color-blindness, the distinction between clothes and skin was less noticeable, not to mention that his eyes had been better suited to watching her movements; besides, msot of the time, he had been focused on their scents, on not getting lost while following them. While he had admired her movements, he was also, as a wolf, lacking the instinctive and hormonal responses that movement would otherwise have aroused in him. Even more so, as a wolf, he was truly color-blind, seeing only shades of gray rather than merely lacking distinction between green and red as with most color-blind humans, and had therefore had no idea that her hair was so vibrantly red, her eyes such a beautiful blue, or her skin so pale and perfect.
Ranko, meanwhile, had decided that Ranma's willingness to continue their closeness that morning meant she could step up her enticement campaign a notch. She wasn't going to initiate anything, but she was determined to work at him until he did. So once she got out of camp and into the brush, she had paused long enough to unbutton most of her shirt and tie it off just under her breasts, leaving her midriff bare and highlighting her bust. Once again she gave thanks that if Jusenkyou had stolen her body, at least the one it had given her was cute and sexy enough to more than make up the loss.
Ranko glanced at the boy, noting his cute fangs. Had that come from the curse, somehow? No, she recognized him now, he was one of the few friends in Ranma's memory. "Hi, Ryouga," she said, smiling warmly at him. She didn't know him, not really, but she felt definite appreciation for those few individuals who had befriended Ranma.
Ryouga was startled. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, with her sitting so close and dressed so... nicely. A beautiful girl knew his name? Ryouga forced his gaze back to his one-time rival and hopefully, once-again friend.
"You... uh... the guide said you were cursed, Ranma..." Ryouga was tentative, worried that this might be a sensitive or even dangerous subject, considering Ranma's general reaction to any slight against his manhood. A laugh of genuine amusement was definitely not the expected response.
Ranma laughed shortly then replied. "Yeah, well, it wasn't really a curse... maybe a... what'd'ya call it?"
"Blessing?" queried a smirking Ranko.
When Ranma nodded, "Yeah," both Ranko and Ryouga's mouths dropped open. A deep blush lit Ranko's cheeks as she thought about the implications.
"It got me away from my idiot old man and," Ranma looked up and stared at Ranko who had a slightly disappointed look on her face, though the blush still lightly stained her cheeks, "it brought me Ranko."
"I don't understand," protested Ryouga. "I thought for sure you'd be going nuts being cursed to be a girl!"
Ranma smiled, still holding Ranko's eyes with his. "I'm not cursed anymore, Ryouga. The old man sold me again but this time he sold me to someone he ain't ever gonna get me back from. That's what the fight was about and he lost."
"You're cured!?" Ryouga was startled and pleased but not quite as excited as he thought he'd be. Ranma's comment about a blessing had made him think a bit too. As a wolf, he couldn't carry his heavy pack, and that was a definite downside. Changing at random intervals could definitely be a pain. He'd have to worry about shedding and fleas... but damnit, he didn't get lost! That sure made up for a hell of a lot.
"Yeah. The guy the old man sold me to turned out to be a kami and he gave me a choice. He said the world's gonna get destroyed in I think thirty years and he wanted me to help him fight whatever's gonna do it."
"What's that got to do with getting cured?"
"That was part of it... kinda my payment for becoming his champion. He split my curse off and used it to bring back the girl who'd drowned there."
Ryouga's eyes widened and he glanced at Ranko questioningly. She nodded. "That's right. I was born a little over fifteen hundred years ago. My birth name was Xian Tal, but since we're going to Japan, I took a Japanese name."
"There's more too, Ryouga," she continued, a bit hesitantly. "If you are going to continue traveling with us, I think you'll have to know about this."
"Yep," interjected Ranma, "Fey said the best way for us to get stronger quick was to fight across a difference in form. Can't do that if we can't change form, so you're gonna haveta know about this. Uhm..."
Ranma paused, coloring slightly as he realized he would have to explain his greatest weakness to Ryouga. He shook his head. It's not a weakness anymore, he told himself. "Back a'fore I met ya, my idiot father decided to train me in this invincible technique."
Ryouga sat up a bit straighter. Ranma knew an invincible technique? Why hadn't he ever used it before? Ranma noted the slight tension in Ryouga's hands as they threatened to become fists and hastened to ward off Ryouga's wrath.
"Whoa there, Ryouga! It ain't like you're thinking! Remember, this is my idiot father we're talking about here. His good idea gave me an uncontrollable fear, not an invincible technique!"
Ryouga calmed down. Ranma hadn't just been playing with him, then. "Why are you telling me this, Ranma? We're rivals!"
Ranma blinked a bit at this. "Well, yeah, I know, Ryouga, but we're friends, too, right?" Ryouga was startled. He had berated himself the moment he spoke, remembering too late that he had already decided taht he couldn't match the pigtailed boy and that they had been more friends than enemies. Hearing Ranma affirm that he thought of Ryouga as a friend defused his tension considerably.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess we are. Ok, so, what was this technique then?"
Ranma's mouth turned down into a disgusted frown. "The Neko-ken," he said unhappily, even as he lightly embraced the cat-fist to avoid unfortunate reactions as he talked about it. "He wrapped me up in fish sausage and threw me in a pit of starving cats." Ryouga paled. "All it did was make me," Ranma paused and drew in a deep breath, still feeling unhappy about having to admit to weakness, particulary in front of a rival, "make me afraid of cats, so he did it again and again until I finally snapped and went insane."
"But how come...," Ryouga paused, floundering in search of words, gesturing at Ranma in an attempt to get across his meaning without having to say it.
"He came out of it after he fell asleep," Ranko said, divining Ryouga's concern. "But ever since, whenever he was near a cat and couldn't get away for long enough, he'd go insane again, and think he was a cat. It was a strong technique for all of that, giving him ki claws and heightened senses, but it certainly wasn't invincible. All it would take to distract him would be a ball of yarn, a falling leaf, catnip. He became just like a cat, but not in a way that would be truly useful."
"Yeah well, anyway, after Fey gave me the choice, he decided that the Neko-ken was too big a weakness for his champion to have, so he helped me fix it. Now me and Ranko both can use the Neko-ken without going nuts first and we ain't scared of cats no more. But it goes further too... He did some kind of magic thing to us, Ryouga. It's kinda like Jusenkyou, I guess, in that we change, but it's controlled. I guess that's all we can tell him, huh, Ranko?"
"Yes, Ranma, go ahead and show him what you're talking about."
Ryouga looked between them for a moment, then focused on Ranma as he stood and stepped away a few meters. Ranma closed his eyes and concentrated then muttered something. Ryouga's eyes bulged in shock as Ranma swelled from an average sized, if well-muscled, Japanese male, to a nine-foot tall, powerfully muscled, gold and black furred tiger-man.
"Step one," Ranko said softly. "Well, step two, really, since he can access the Neko-ken without actually physically going cat."
Ryouga stood up a bit nervously. He waited a moment then when Ranma stayed still, he stepped forward trepidatiously. Ranma grinned and Ryouga started at the sight of Ranma's inch long fangs.
"Step two," Ranma purred. He closed his eyes again. This time Ryouga was close enough to hear Ranma mutter, "Transform," under his breath. Ryouga stepped back in shock as Ranma shot up once more, growing to nearly thirteen feet in height, huge black leathery wings sprouting from his back as his fur seemed to melt into burnished gold scales. His scales caught the light from the rising sun, glittering and flashing as his chest moved with his breath.
Ranma grinned again, three inch long dagger-like teeth flashing white in the sunlight as he delighted in Ryouga's awed reaction. It made him wish for a mirror. After Fey had unlocked their forms, he had seen Ranko's forms and she his, but neither had seen themselves. Glancing at his partner, he was surprised by the heat of her gaze, until he reminded himself how it had affected him to look on her crimson beauty.
Ranko nodded then cocked her head to one side. Ranma, guessing without real certainty at her intent, released the transformations. He wasn't sure now, looking at Ryouga's stunned face, that he really should have taken the second transformation, at least, not until Ryouga had gotten used to the tiger-form.
Ranko stepped up and gave Ranma a lopsided smile, shaking her head slightly. "There's one more aspect you need to see, Ryouga, since it affects how we may choose to travel." Ryouga turned his gaze to the red-haired beauty just in time to see her drop to all fours before becoming a ten foot tigress, fur tinged with red. She strode to Ranma's side and he dropped a hand on her head, scratching lightly as she rubbed along his side.
Stepping away again, Ranko returned to her human form, feeling grateful that Fey had arranged for their clothing to change with them by virtue of their rings. While she wouldn't mind giving Ranma a free show, she didn't want his friend to get any ideas.
To be sure, he looked like he might make a fine second husband, but the memories she had gained from Ranma indicated that Genma had made more than one engagement for Ranma. If she opened up the idea of a multiple marriage, she might find herself competing with only Genma knew how many girls for time with her love. She had no intention of allowing that to happen.
Ryouga still looked stunned but he was beginning to come to grips with what he'd seen. He thanked the gods that he had not taken up his revenge once more after leaving the valley of cursed springs. Ranma's demonstration against his own father had been bad enough but looking at Ranma's cursed forms... He might at one time have been stronger while Ranma was faster, and they were both near evenly matched, but there was no way he was as strong as Ranma's larger forms.
Ranko sat down and the two boys followed suit, and for the next several hours they talked about their lives and their memories. Most of Ranma's tale was told by Ranko, for he had forgotten much of it, a defensive reaction lest dwelling on it steal his happiness. Ryouga went last and as he finished his tale, Ranko grew thoughtful.
"You know, Ranma, we might be able to do something for Ryouga," Ranko said, catching their interest.
"Oh? Like what?" queried Ranma, brightening at the thought of helping out his old friend. He had been afraid that Ryouga would be angry at him for not being at their fight, but thankfully that fear had been defused. Still, if they could resolve some of Ryouga's problems, that would surely cement their friendship. Ranma had few enough friends and he certainly didn't want to lose any of the ones he had.
"Well... let's start small, and see if we can't get his pack."
"Oh. Right." Ranma was a bit disappointed. He had been hoping that Ranko had some idea how to help Ryouga with his curse, or with his direction sense, since Ranma certainly didn't.
Ryouga was caught between disappointment and excitement. He too had for a moment hoped for a cure, but having his pack with him would certainly improve his ability to help Ranma and prove his friendship.
"Okay, so first, we need to find it," Ranko said. She looked at Ranma. "I don't really have experience with this, but I've seen it done, so I think I should be able to visualize it well enough for Fey's powers to work." Ranma nodded, happy to let her take the lead. He was sure he didn't have the best chance at casting this sort of magic. He still did best on the spells that Ranko had guided him through visualizing, such as his "gimme a torch" spell.
Picking up a canteen, she took one of Ranma's cooking pots, she poured enough water into it to completely cover the bottom then capped the canteen and set it aside.
"Alright, Ryouga, I want you to concentrate on what your backpack looks like." He nodded and closed his eyes.
Ranko focused her intent and visualized the scrying bowl she had seen the elder's use, then chanted.
"By the power granted me, from this man's mind the image obtaining, in the water finding the way, this item's location find and display!" Ranma and Ranko grinned when the water turned dark then stilled, not reacting to the vagaries of the wind with even the least ripple. A moment later a clear image was shown of a heavy pack lying hidden beneath a bush, a red papered bamboo umbrella resting atop the bedroll that was tied to the pack.
Ranko looked to Ranma. "Alright, it's your turn. You get to bring it here. Remember to focus on what you want, and try and think of a sequence of words that matches the things you visualize."
Ranma began to sweat. "Uh, Ranko, are you sure I should..." He fell silent at her glare and nodded quickly. "Uh, right, uhm," he wavered, then focused his gaze on the water and tried to clear his mind of his doubts and uncertainties. "Uh, by the power ya gave me, take this pack I'm lookin at, and put it over here beside me, uhm... now?"
There was a muffled pop, and Ryouga's bag appeared a few feet above the ground beside Ranma and landed with a clatter, startling them all. Ryouga's eyes snapped wide as he stared at his pack, which seemed to be slightly singed and smoking just a bit.
Ryouga hadn't had his eyes open to see the picture in the water, as he had been trying to concentrate, so he was entirely unprepared for it to appear beside him so precipitously. "Eeep! Uhm... how come its smoking?"
Ranko giggled, smelling the light hint of sulfur in the air. "I think Ranma didn't bother to visualize which aspect of Fey he was asking for help. Fey is also a demon, and I think Ranma just cast a demonic summoning spell."
Ranma groaned unhappily but didn't notice Ryouga pale. Ryouga had just suffered a vision of himself running into Ranma after being cursed, shouting "Ranma! Because of you I've seen Hell! Die!" and having Ranma turn around to say, "Fine, why don't you go back for another visit." Then there was this weird image of a little black piglet running around dodging demons with pitchforks in a place that was basically nothing more than one really big barbecue pit. "Why a pig?" he wondered, shivering.
---
Ryouga watched in wide-eyed wonder as Ranma faced off against the Ranko's half-tiger form. She towered over Ranma and as they rushed to the attack, Ryouga could see that in addition to greater reach and strength, she was also faster than Ranma, even with her greater size and mass.
Ranma took several hits early on. They had sparred in their Neko-ken forms a number of times, but they had not yet tried sparring across a difference in form, preferring to become familiar with their new forms first. Facing a larger, stronger and most importantly faster opponent was a significantly greater challenge than Ranma had anticipated. Even so, he would have put up a better showing were it not for the constant sparring they had been doing. As a result of that sparring the knowledge of the art that Ranko had gained from Ranma's memories had become second nature to her and while she still had nowhere near his astounding ability for analyzing an opponent's style and coming up with a swift counter, she hardly needed it against an opponent she had experience against.
Ranma took a number of punishing blows, hitting the ground hard enough to make even Ryouga wince, but he bounced back and quickly shifted to a style based on Hapkido. His usual style was based too strongly on having a speed advantage over his opponent but the true secret of his school of the art was adaptability. He might normally use moves based on Kempo and his father's air-borne style, but he could change styles in an instant.
Ranko was delighted when her first strikes produced decisive hits but in spite of having his memories of learning under his father, she was taken by surprise when he shifted styles. Though he bounced right back up from the hit, he did not leap at her as she was expecting and when she launched herself across the intervening space he avoided her seeking fist with bare millimeters to spare, tugging lightly at her arm as it whistled past, throwing her off-balance and into an elegant hip-throw.
Ryoga straightened and watched more closely, suddenly aware that Ranma had taken up a seemingly defensive role in response to his loss of the speed advantage. Ranma seemed to Ryouga to be in a position similar to the one he had so often had Ryouga in, though he was lacking the strength advantage as well, something that Ryouga had never conceded to Ranma. Of course, that too had changed now. There was no question in Ryouga's mind that Ranma could easily out-power him. Nonetheless, Ranma's tactics could be very useful if Ryouga ever found himself sparring against one or the other of the pair.
That thought seemed to linger in the air as a feeling of sick fascination overtook him. With a yowled battle-cry the two had taken it up a notch and begun demonstrating why they were warriors now and no longer just martial artists. First blood went to Ranko, twisting in mid-air as she was thrown yet again, reminding Ranma that her feet in this form were more than blunt weapons, as she gouged tracks across his arm.
Ranma did not let up in the least, in spite of his injury, launching himself into a low but very fast ki-propelled kick at Ranko's landing place. She twisted in the air to avoid him, even though she was still facing away from him, but Ranma dropped his leading foot quite suddenly into the ground. It sent a severe jolt through him but he directed the change in momentum masterfully, turning the forward leap into a rolling kick with the other leg, bringing it smashing down with startling speed even as Ranko strove to avoid it.
She managed to avoid most of it but blood sprayed from her back nonetheless. She had in fact avoided his kick, but Ranma had demonstrated the adaptiveness that was his trademark, reacting to the raking claws of her foot and successfully manifesting the claws of the Neko-ken through his own foot, shredding his Chinese slipper but evening the score.
Ryouga felt certain that they would bleed to death when they finally stopped, so covered were they in fresh and dried blood and indeed they seemed limp with exhaustion. Still, he had watched much of the fight closely and one of the first points he noticed when Ranma finally collapsed beside him was that the original injury that had drawn first blood, raking lines of red across Ranma's arm, had vanished completely, not even a scar left to show its presence.
The combat had lasted for nearly two hours and he felt sure they were done for the day. He glanced at his pack, wondering how long it would take them to recover enough to travel. He turned back at the sound of Ranko's voice chanting, in time to see a wash of white pass over them. Ranma stood up, no longer exhausted, and apparently unwounded.
Ranko, having returned to human form, joined him in walking out into the field a good distance from Ryouga as he stared at them in dismay. Surely they were not going to do it again?
"You're the one who has touched that power already," Ranko teased Ranma and he grumbled but nodded. Ryouga was wondering what she meant as Ranma began chanting. He kept on wondering, right up to the point that five rather nasty looking creatures appeared.
They looked around startled then one of them laughed. "Fresh meat," he said, grinning and pointing the humans out to his companions. There was certainly no mistaking who was new and who was not, for the creatures looked far from human. They were grotesque, with oversized tusks and claws. Two had horns, three had scales of green or black, two were furred, one black and one red, and all looked like a strange cross of man and beast. Where Ranma and Ranko had forms that seemed to combine the best of humans and animals, evoking a sense of awe in Ryouga, these things seemed to combine the worst, with leering faces, drool dripping down their chins, dirt and slime proclaiming their utter lack of care for their appearance, and a stench that reached Ryouga with disgusting swiftness.
Ranko and Ranma looked at each other, nodded, and sprang into action before the demons, summoned by Ranma, reacted to the first beast's comment. They were amongst them instantly, striking hard. Ryouga was reminded once more of the distinct changes his friend had undergone as the snapping of bone resounded clearly across the distance.
They high-fived each other amidst the resulting sprawl of demons then danced away as the beasts rose to their feet once more. "You're gonna pay for that," one growled as his arm un-snapped with a painful-sounding wet crack. "I'm gonna enjoy eating your heart," he sneered at Ranma.
One of the other demons joined in. "After we make you watch while we all rape your slut!"
To their amusement, the humans showed no signs of fear, in spite of the demons having just demonstrated the futility of their skills. Their amusement was short-lived when Ranma cried out, "Sparring partners that won't stay down! He was right, this is great!"
The two dove into the melee again and it was only the knowledge that the mortals would soon grow weary and become easy prey that consoled the demons as the warriors tore through them, cracking bones left and right. These were low-level demons but they filled Ranma's requirements perfectly; hardly surprising, considering that it had been his mental expectations that had controlled who was summoned. They were cannon fodder, un-skilled except in the simple and direct application of brute force, but designed to take massive amounts of punishment. They were fulfilling their design admirably, to their considerable regret.
Long after they had expected the warriors to tire, they finally did grow weary. Unfortunately, it was the weariness of boredom and not physical exhaustion and with unspoken agreement claws of ki were unleashed and the demons' physical forms were quickly damaged too much to sustain their demonic essences. The bodies collapsed into a fine grey dust.
Ranma sighed unhappily. "Well, it might of been good exercise but it would have been a lot better if they had some skill. I mean, it ain't teaching us nothing about group fighting if we don't have to defend each other and what not."
"I'll summon them next time," Ranko promised, eliciting a smile from her tired companion.
"Good," he smirked, "but you know, it ain't cause you think so good that it works better for you."
"Oh," questioned Ranko as they walked back towards Ryouga, "then why is it that I'm so much better, hmm?"
"'S'obvious," Ranma answered with a wide grin, "Fey's just like me."
"That doesn't make sense," she retorted, "if he's just like you you should think alike, which should make it easier."
"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "'cept that he is just like me. I can't help it, every time I look at you I want to do anything I can to make you happy." Ranma let out an exultant whoop at Ranko's look of startled delight. He swept her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly.
"Now doesn't that just warm your heart?" asked a voice tinged with humor and happiness from just behind Ryouga.