Ryouga leapt to his feet and spun around. Immediately his jaw dropped. There was no question in his mind, given the story Ranma had told him, as to who the figure before him was, but even with the story it was still a shock to turn around and find Ranma standing behind him. He turned halfway back around to verify that Ranma was still hugging Ranko and wasn't playing some joke on him then out of the corner of his eye he caught the flash of white. Facing the new Ranma fully once more, he looked past the face that had held his startled attention, to the white wings that rested against his back, neatly folded.

Before he had a chance to speak, he heard a joyous cry from behind him. A rush of wind blew past him leaving Ranko clinging tightly to Fey's side, her eyes shining with happiness, while Ranma stood a step away, a real, unfeigned smile on his face. Looking at Ranma in that moment, Ryouga realized for perhaps the first time that there was actually a difference between being cheerful and being happy.

He had thought Ranma happy when he first knew him but looking at him now the difference became obvious. Ranma had been unfailing cheerful, an attribute that at the time had irritated Ryouga to no end. That impertinent and ever-present grin seemed a mockery when they were sparring, but now even in memory it seemed a dim shadow to Ranma's present happiness. Could Ranma really have been so much like himself? Had he been hiding depression, anger, or sadness behind that veil of cheerfulness all that time?

Ryouga felt shamed once more for the attitude he had taken with his friend. Remembering again Ranma's description of the Neko-ken training, he silently berated himself for having doubted that Ranma might have had reason to feel depression or anger. Seeing the winged Ranma smiling proudly at Ranma and Ranko, Ryouga was reminded of his own father's look, when Ryouga had mastered a kata. Ranma never had that, he reminded himself. And yet he had the strength to be cheerful. At that moment something seemed to click for Ryouga, a recognition, deep down, that Ranma was not merely stronger than Ryouga. Ranma was better, was a better person than Ryouga.

Ryouga grinned slightly, letting his fangs show, as in his mind he declared once more a ringing challenge. This time, it was not a declaration of vengeance. "Someday, Ranma, someday I will be as good a man as you, and then it won't matter who is stronger."

Ranko released Fey and gestured at Ryouga. "This is Ranma's friend, Fey-sama, Hibiki Ryouga. We were talking earlier about trying to help him."

"He ended up at Jusenkyou, somehow," Ranma added and Ryouga realized with a start that he had never admitted that he had followed Ranma for vengeance. An image of a penitent Ranma flashed in his head and while for just a moment he felt pleasure at the thought, the realization a moment later that Ranma would in fact feel guilty and sorry for having caused Ryouga's curse, even though Ryouga had since admitted that he and not Ranma was at fault, shamed him still the more for having taken even an instant's pleasure at the thought.

"He turns into a great big wolf," finished Ranko. "Can you do something for him?"

Ryouga felt his heart leap at the thought but it fell just as quickly, as Fey shook his head slowly. "As I told Ranma when we first met, I must act directly as little as possible. However, perhaps it is time that I reveal another of the gifts I have given you."

He sat, spreading his wings, and they followed suit. Once again he told the tale, explaining to Ryouga who he was, why he was there, and what Ranma and Ranko had agreed to.

"What I have not yet told you," he continued, looking to Ranma and Ranko, "though I think Ranko has guessed it already, is that you are to be the leaders, not the only warriors. You are my avatars here and to you alone is this gift given, that all of the other gifts I have given you, you may pass on to another."

"Perhaps I should say rather, share with another, for you will lose nothing in the exchange. It is under your control and I trust you with this, but to ensure against betrayal, you may revoke your gift with a single touch, if you so intend. Further, you may choose, at the time of the gift, which of your powers to pass on and to what degree, remembering that whatever you give will be useless until the recipient learns to use it. Thus, the more you give, the more time they will need to become fully effective."

Ranko grinned. "I was just about to ask why we would want to give half a gift."

He smiled and nodded. "I thought you might. But to give a more concrete example, suppose you find someone who can support you by gathering information, but is not a fighter? To ensure that person's loyalty and safety you might gift them with your healing ability, but there would be little point in giving them a transformation. As for that last, in point of fact, your transformations are mere activators for your Neko-ken, which you cannot grant to others, for I did not give it to you. But if you pass the activators on to one who has suffered a Jusenkyou curse, then that person will be able to control the change, even to change partially, just as you can."

Ranko smiled. "So, Fey-sama, how would we give this gift?"

"Well, first, Ranko, I must insist that you give the gift only to those who have agreed to aid you, and who can do so effectively. I don't want to come back and see that all the population of Japan is immortal. This is for your team, only. Given that... you pass on the gift by concentrating on doing so while taking their blood."

"Taking... their blood?" Ranko asked, frowning in confusion.

"Yes," said Fey, baring his fangs, "like a vampire. You needn't take much."

Ranma laughed and was about to make a comment about Ryouga already having the equipment, when a gout of blood poured from Ryouga's nose and he fell over backwards in a faint. The image of Ranko, her lips pressed against his throat as a single drop of blood escaped her lips, was too much for him.

---

Ryouga sat up slowly. His hand flew to his nose when the scene he had been imagining just before his faint flashed back to his mind. A gentle laugh drew his attention to Ranma and Ranko, both sitting near him. He looked around.

"Where did Fey go?"

"He left after he finished explaining things," Ranma replied with a grin. For a bare instant Ryouga felt a flash of anger at the smirking boy, but his usual reactions had been sufficiently disrupted by the odd events of the past several days that he had time to recognize that all was not as he had at first imagined. Ranma's grin was no different, really, from his usual irritating smirk, and yet, after that brief flash of memory, it did not seem to summon the usual anger within him.

Because it's not empty, he realized. He always used to look like he was deliberately smirking at me, as if he was mocking me, mocking everything, a smile that held no real emotion. Now he is smiling because he is actually happy. The realization that Ranma's smile was one he could not become angry at was followed by a deep shame that he had ever become angry at Ranma for so little reason, realizing as he now did, that Ranma's grin had not been a mockery, as he had so often thought, but a defense against the harsh emptiness of his life.

"So, uh, how about it, Ryouga?" asked Ranma, shifting nervously. "Do you... uh... wanna help? It's gonna be dangerous, but..."

"I'm a martial artist, Ranma," Ryouga said, without heat. "I heard what Fey said." He looked down and sighed. "I don't think you're asking the right question though." He pulled up a few blades of grass, crumpling them in his hands.

"See, uh... I haven't really told you everything yet. I... I didn't just show up at Jusenkyou. I followed you. I wanted to get revenge." Ranma looked startled and worried.

"I don't want that anymore," he said, sighing, "but... do you really want me on your team? I mean, you had a harder life than I did, I can finally see that, but you kept your head up, you stayed cheerful. I gave in to my depression, I followed you all the way to China because I felt like you betrayed me!"

"Well," Ranma began, glancing at Ranko with a concerned frown, "yeah, but, you're not trying to now, right? I mean, we're friends now, right? And I can help you, and you can help me."

"Yeah, I guess," said Ryouga, looking up, a slow smile spreading across his face, his fangs dimpling his lower lip. He had not really expected any less from Ranma. He did not want to convince Ranma not to accept him. But pointing out the things he was feeling ashamed of and hearing Ranma brush them aside as no longer meaningful gave him hope that he might actually be able to make a new start.

"So, uh, what now?" Ryouga shifted a bit nervously, remembering the vision that had so recently knocked him out.

Ranma glanced at Ranko. "You'll have to do the tricky ones, Ranko-chan, so I might as well do the simple ones. Besides," he turned and grinned at Ryouga, "if she did it, you'd die of blood-loss, between her and your nose."

Ryouga growled but tilted his neck. When Ranma shook his head and stood, Ryouga followed suit. Again Ryouga tilted his neck, turning his head away. Ranma stepped up, opening his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryouga saw Ranma's eyeteeth lengthening. Ranma leaned forward and then stopped, leaning back for a moment, gazing questioningly at Ryouga's neck before reaching up to feel his own. "Uh... I think I need to do it on the other side, Ryouga."

Ryouga wondered what difference it made, but obligingly turned his head the other direction, exposing his neck once more. "If you turn me into a vampire, Ranma...," he growled warningly, leaving his threat unfinished.

Ranma chuckled and then Ryouga felt a warmth on his neck, followed by a momentary pain that quickly faded into pleasure. Ranma was momentarily overcome by emotion, as Ryouga was by the pleasure. Ryouga seemed to be pumping out raw depression and shame. Ranma shook himself mentally and focused on the gift. The moment he thought of it he could feel it like a warm glow in his chest. He thought of his quick healing and a single spark of lambent flame rose from the warmth and passed into Ryouga. "Heh," he thought, "that was easy. Guess I could do the tricky ones, too."

With that he focused on the fire in his chest, encouraging the whole thing to move, with no more concern for what was what. Ryouga shivered as he felt surges of flame running into him through his neck, rising to his head, and flashing down to fill his chest with a fiery heat. The pleasure faded and he felt a wet warmth. Ranma pulled his teeth out, leaving just his lips pressed against Ryouga's neck, then licked the wound, feeling it close under his tongue, before stepping away. "Well, it's done," Ranma said, wiping his mouth, leaving a red streak across the back of his hand.

"Feel any different, Ryouga?" asked Ranko, stepping up to put a hand on his shoulder, cocking her head to gaze curiously into his face.

"Like someone set a fire in my chest," he said, putting his hand to his chest. "Not like heartburn, though. It doesn't hurt."

Ranma nodded knowingly. "Felt the same for us, the first time, when we drank his blood."

Ryouga peered at him over Ranko's head. "You mean, he didn't take yours, the way you took mine?"

"Naw, he cut his wrist and filled a golden cup and we drank out of that."

"Oh... so what exactly did you do? I mean, what can I do, now?"

"Well, the most important thing at the moment, Ryouga," said Ranko, still standing in front of him, "is that you should be able to control your curse. I don't know if water will still trigger it or not, but the way we change, is to picture the form we want to take, and then say, 'Transform,'"

Ryouga snickered and Ranma laughed. "I felt the same way," Ranma said, "but Fey said you can whisper it, if you like."

"Go on, try it," Ranko encouraged.

Ryouga nodded and mentally pictured the wolf he had seen reflected in the waters of the pool. "Transform," he muttered. Instantly he dropped to all four limbs, as the world faded to grey and yet lit up with innumerable scents. Not the least of which was the smell of his own blood coming from Ranma.

A sudden unreasoning fear struck him. He had changed, he was a wolf, how could he say 'transform' when he could not speak at all? Frantically he pictured himself as a human again and shouted "Transform!" A long howl answered him but it was enough, and he was back. Immediately he moved his hands to cover himself and flushed red. Ranko turned around, blushing.

"Heck," said Ranma, "I forgot that our clothes stick with us because of these rings and not some ability he gave us. Sorry." He bowed apologetically at the frantically dressing Ryouga, who was trying to rearrange clothing that had been ripped and torn.

"Oh, man," panted Ryouga, "I was sure for a minute there that I was trapped. I mean, a wolf can't talk!" He looked around and realized that Ranko had gone into the tent to allow him to try out his new powers in relative privacy.

Ranma shook his head again, looking down. "Sorry about that, Ryouga. But you shouldn't have been worried. After all, you saw Ranko become an ordinary tiger and she changed back. We change the same way, ya know."

"Yeah," Ryouga agreed, shaking his head ruefully. "I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"S'okay. Try your next form," encouraged Ranma.

"My what?" Ryouga stared at Ranma in confusion.

"You know, a half-form. Picture yourself, but like, hairy, I guess, with a kind of wolfish face and claws and all, and then say transform."

Ryouga glanced at the tent and then shucked his clothes again, with an apologetic glance at Ranma. He grinned sheepishly. "You got a bit bigger when you went half-tiger. I don't want to rip all my clothes up. I did enough damage to them already." Concentrating, he tried to picture himself as a big hairy wolf-man. He had seen movies with werewolves before and when he said "Transform," Ranma noticed that he had produced the same sort of double-kneed legs that Ranma first had.

Ranma pointed at them. "Fey said that that means you went deeper towards a wolf. He says that legs like that are better for speed and jumping, while human-type legs are better for power and strength. I did the same thing the first time, because I've been deeper in the Neko-ken."

Ryouga glanced down at his legs, but they hardly seemed worth the concern. He was instead concentrated on the realization that this form was the answer to the question that had plagued him before he first left Jusenkyou. In this form, his sense of smell was keen enough that he would not get lost if he had something or someone to follow, and yet he could carry his pack.

Returning his attention to Ranma he saw that the now small-seeming boy had picked up his pants and was looking at them thoughtfully. Before Ryouga could comment Ranma began chanting softly. "By the power you gave me, Lord Fey, let these pants uh, fit Ryouga, uh, fit Ryouga like he is now, I mean."

Before Ryouga's startled eyes, the pants grew in size and altered slightly in cut and form. Ranma handed them to Ryouga with a smile. Ryouga tried to put them on, but found that the odd shape of his legs prevented it, though they looked like they would fit well enough once he got them on.

Ranma took them back and looked at them for a moment then raised a single finger. Above it a gleam of light flashed then his hand dropped and the pants suddenly became cut-offs. He muttered something under his breath and stitches suddenly appeared on the bottom, re-hemming the shortened pants. He handed them to Ryouga, who found that the shorter legs were easy to work over his own strangely shaped limbs, and that the shorts fit well, though the hems looked badly sewn. Well, perhaps not badly, they looked like they would hold, but the stitches varied in length and the line they made wavered up and down. Certainly nothing like the original neat machine-stitching.

Ranma grinned at him then turned and ran over to the tent. He poked his head in, then backed out again, followed by Ranko. She looked over at Ryouga and smiled. He responded with a deep blush though none of them could see it.

"So, Ryouga," said Ranma, grinning widely, "How about a spar man? Just like we used to."

"Sure," said Ryouga, cracking his knuckles. Remembering Ranma's words, he bent his legs and sprang into the air and away from the tent, easily gaining forty feet from the ground. Ranma leapt up to meet him. Ryouga was no stranger to midair combat, though he was by no means as good at it as Ranma. As he neared Ranma he threw out a strong punch and felt a strong urge to howl in victory when he saw Ranma move to redirect it, as he had hoped he would.

He had watched carefully as Ranma had fought Ranko and seen how he worked to use her strength against her and had planned for Ranma to do the same to him. Such plans were often useless against Ranma, he knew, for the other boy was the most unpredictable fighter Ryouga had ever encountered. This once, though, Ryouga had been lucky. Moving with Ranma's tug, he rotated and caught Ranma's wrist in his large hand. A quick half-twist in the air, a sharp tug, and his legs snapped out to smash Ranma in the chest with stunning force.

Ranma slammed into the ground sending up a cloud of dirt as Ryouga shot even higher into the air with the momentum he had stolen from Ranma. Ranma bounced back to his feet, grinning madly. That grin met its brother on Ryouga's face. For the first time in a spar with Ranma, he was not overcome with rage or depression.

As Ranma shot up towards him again, Ryouga felt a rush of excitement shoot through him. Knowing that Ranma would have changed his tactics, he guessed quickly at the most unexpected thing he could think of Ranma doing. Sure enough, Ranma shifted styles completely, throwing himself into a driving kick that showed no sign of the elegant and minimal redirection of momentum he had been employing a moment before. Ryouga exulted once more at having guessed rightly and he pulled Ranma's trick on him, for the first time in his life achieving a perfect Hapkido throw against Ranma.

He couldn't help it and howled in delight and victory. When the howl finally died as he landed lightly on the ground, he recognized once more the difference between them that he had never been willing to see before. Ryouga would have taken any opening, before, while Ranma, though trained by Genma, a man as sneaky and dishonorable, surely, as any man alive, had allowed him his moment of triumph, even though his head had been to the sky, his eyes closed, baring his defenses. The moment he looked at Ranma though, the other boy was in motion, whipping across the ground towards him, but not directly. He was moving at a startling speed, but every step seemed to alter his intended target, leaving Ryouga at a loss for where the other boy intended to attack.

Not willing to wait and defend at a disadvantage, Ryouga leapt forward to meet his oncoming foe. The two clashed and for several moments they stood toe to toe, Ranma lithely avoiding Ryouga's combinations, blocking occasionally with a visible grimace, but getting his own telling hits on Ryouga.

Ranma shifted his stance suddenly and before Ryouga could react to the change in pace, he was thrown. He expertly redirected himself, twisting in the air and landing on those marvelous legs, which absorbed his momentum so efficiently, before reversing his direction in a powerful horizontal leap. He realized his mistake even as Ranma took his diret and open attack and redirected it yet again.

The next time Ryouga attacked more warily. He countered the next throw and retaliated with a hard blow that caught Ranma on the left side, but Ranma had seemed to expect it and turned with it, lessening the blow. Ranma tried to bring that into another throw but Ryouga blocked, catching Ranma's leg with his own reversed knee-like shin joint, a curiously and unusually effective move, given the relative angles, and one that Ryouga promised himself he would remember.

Unfortunately it also brought Ranma in within his guard and Ryouga paid for it with what felt like a hundred blows into his right side before he managed to get his guard up again. He could not redirect Ranma's momentum given the way their legs were locked, so he pulled back and spun, trying to catch Ranma's arm and pull him off-balance. Ranma was too quick for him and as Ryouga spun to his right, Ranma dropped his torso to the ground, scissored his leg upward, and twisted, catching Ryouga's moving leg and driving it forward, greatly increasing his momentum.

Ryouga dropped as well, diving forward even as Ranma rose up, right behind his back after their spin, lashing out with a kick that would have caught Ryouga hard in the kidney if he had not parleyed the momentum of the assisted turn into a fall and then a roll. He spun and kicked upward just as Ranma kicked forward, clearly having expected him to rise. Ranma had intended to catch Ryouga in the chest as he rose, instead he found Ryouga's foot against his thigh, propelling him up and over.

Ranma laughed in delight. Ryouga had never been this clever a challenger. To be sure, he had always fought with skill, but rarely with good strategy. Now, he actually seemed to be trying to anticipate what Ranma would come up with to throw him off and he was occasionally getting in a good strike because of it.

Ranko watched from the sidelines, content to observe for now. She too was curious about the change in Ryouga's fighting style. Unlike Ranma, she had not felt his depression and shame, but she did have Ranma's memories of their earlier fights, so it was clear even to her that Ryouga was fighting quite differently from his usual norm. He had yet to bellow a challenge at Ranma, unless that howl could be counted as such. She did not think so, though. It sounded more like a victory cry to her, as if he were celebrating having out-foxed Ranma in battle, which, she had to admit, was something worthy of celebration.

More to the point though, it seemed that Ryouga was adjusting to his new status and form quite well. Indeed, he seemed more in control of himself than had ever been the case, judging by Ranma's memories of him.

She gasped when Ryouga drew first blood, carving a gash across Ranma's chest. Ryouga immediately stopped, looking contrite and apologetic, actually whining with emotion, but Ranma just laughed. "This is something you'll have to get used to Ryouga. We can't hold back against these things, and that means we've got to practice hard. You won't hit the wall, anymore. It isn't there for you, just like it isn't there for me, and one of the ways to improve, now, is to get beat to within an inch of your life. Get hurt that bad, and you'll come back stronger than before. I dunno where Fey got the idea, but I guess it kinda makes sense. If we face something bad enough to take us down, as long as we survive, we'll come back with an even better chance against it. Now, come on!"

Ryouga seemed doubtful but when Ranma came at him, unwilling to stop for a mere scratch, he got back into it, and soon they were fighting hard again. Ryouga was the next to be injured but he bore it stoically, recognizing that he had to be able to take whatever Ranma and Ranko could, if he was to prove his worth to them.

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