Looking Forward


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.