Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Wild Like You ❯ A Lost Cause ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

"Wild Like You"
A Ranma ½ Fanfiction by CompMan44
Romance/Comedy/AU

Disclaimer (CMA): The characters and settings used in this story are the property of their respective owners. They are used here without permission, but with no malicious or libelous intent. The author receives no compensation for this work aside from peer reviews.

Part 3: A Lost Cause

Somewhere in southern Japan…

A young man, of muscular physique and short-cropped hair, with a bearing that suggested the influence of the martial arts, was… lost. It wasn't exactly a rare occurence, mind you, but at the moment it frustrated him to no end, as he had an actual destination in mind this time. A destination that, unfortunately, had moved since last this young man saw him. So, he had stopped to ask directions.

"RANMA SAOTOME! You will pay! On my honor as a martial artist, when I find you, I will make you pay for what you've done to me!"

The old man resting nearby knew the area quite well-as well he should, having traveled this road to market with his yattai nearly every day for the past thirty-seven years. Meeting this lost young man, he felt obliged to lend a hand, since it wasn't exactly an easy place to get around. But the boy seemed to have a… problem. "Ah, sonny, I said Tokyo's thattaway."

Ryoga turned to look at the man. "Eh? Yes, of course; my thanks," he said-and proceeded to walk in yet another, but still incorrect, direction.

"No, no, no! That way! That way! Why're ya so set on goin' this way?! Jus' go straight thattaway, an' yeh'll find Tokyo in a coupla' hours, tops."

"Again, I thank you."

"But…! Oh, why'd I even bother…."

The sun was shining, the grass was green, the sky was blue, the Saotomes were sparring-all in all, a relatively normal day at the Tendo dojo, since Ranma's arrival a scant week ago. Akane couldn't help but chuckle as the drawn-out match turned into less a battle of skill and more a battle of wit. Both Ranma and Genma had taken several dunks in the koi pond already, and still neither showed signs of slowing down.

They really are very skilled, she realized. Especially Ranma… he-er, she must've been holding back a lot in our match the other day.

"Saotome-san! Ranma-kun! Breakfast!" Kasumi called from the door.

Genma whipped out a wooden sign, reading "We'll be there in a moment, Kasumi-chan." His momentary distraction, however, was all Ranma needed to send him flying once more. In the space of just a few seconds, the panda had leapt from the koi pond, decked a retreating Ranma, and sent the boy for his own swim.

"Oh, my…"

Now where am I? Ryoga thought, eyeing the town's bright banners and market stands. Maybe I should ask someone for directions-again. He approached a man at a smaller booth. "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to Furinkan High School? Right here, you see, on this map."

"Ah, sir… this is a map of Tokyo."

"Of course. That's where I'm headed," Ryoga stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But you're in Sapporo!"

"Er… really? Crap. Which way is Tokyo from here?"

"It's pretty much straight that way," the stranger replied. He pointed southward, to where Ryoga could just make out Mount Fuji's peak through the mist.

"Thank you very much."

"Not that… oh, never mind."

"Oh, no! Ranma, hurry up and finish eating; we're going to be late!"

"Yeah, but Kasumi said-"

"Forget what she said; we've only got twenty minutes to get to class! And I you don't want to hold buckets again, do you?"

"Well, no…"

"Then get your bag, and come on! Let's get going!"

Ranma quickly complied, downing the remains of her breakfast, and following Akane out the door and down the street-whereupon she was promptly dashed with a ladleful of cold water. Now several sizes too large for her uniform-which, fortunately, managed not to rip, but was certainly to the point of considering it-and a few yards behind Akane, she ran to catch up and yelled to get the other girl's attention.

"Akane! Wait! I gotta get some hot water!"

The noticeably male tone to Ranma's voice made Akane stop in her tracks. "Ranma, please tell me you didn't…" She turned around to look. Shaking her head in exasperation, she finished, "You did." She swore under her breath. "Well, I guess we'd better make a stop at Doctor Tofu's; come on, Ranma." She grabbed the former redhead by the wrist, dragging him around the corner to a small clinic.

Out in front of the clinic, Ranma waited for Akane to run in for a kettle of hot water. He busied himself with studying the sign, which read "Tofu Clinic - Chiropractor - Acupuncture - Moxibustion" in bold kanji. Quickly tiring of that, Ranma tried making out shapes in the clouds, and began to wonder what was taking so long.

From seemingly nowhere, a hand reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. WHAT?! I didn't sense anything! He whipped around on reflex, dropping into a defensive stance as he screamed. "KYAAAAAAA!"

"Oh, my, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. Let me introduce you to Betty-chan," said a kindly man to the shaking Ranma. The man glanced skeptically at the 'boy's' choice of wardrobe, then gestured to the artificial skeleton in his hands. "Sir, meet Betty-chan. Betty-chan, this is… I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"R-R-Ranma Saotome," Ranma stuttered. "Anou… are you Tofu-sensei?"

"Ah! Tofu-sensei! There you are; I was looking all over for you," Akane interrupted, coming out the door with a large kettle in hand. "I wanted to ask if you had any hot water, but I found it myself. Here you go, Ranma-chan." She upturned the kettle over Ranma's head.

Doctor Tofu watched in astonishment as the liquid poured over the boy, and as if washing away his dark hair and strong frame, replaced it with a fiery red crown atop a-rather short-young girl. Tofu blinked his eyes a few times, looking between the two for some explanation.

Noticing the doctor's curious stare, Ranma began to relate her story. It took a good five minutes, during which Akane stamped her feet impatiently, and glanced at the clock every few seconds.

When Ranma was finished, Tofu nodded sagely, a thoughtful glaze to his eyes. "I see, I see. In fact, I believe I've heard of these 'Cursed Springs'; as a mythology enthusiast, I keep many volumes on ancient Chinese lore, and I recall quite a few mentions of something like this. So very sorry, though; not a one gave any sort of a cure," he finished, looking back up at Ranma. "I would very much like to talk with you and your father about this sometime, if you don't mind…?" Ranma nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when Akane grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her to her feet.

"Okay, you're done; come on, Ranma! We've got to get to school! Let's go!" an exasperated Akane shouted, grabbing Ranma and half-leading, half-dragging her out the door. With an embarrassed grimace, Ranma glanced back to a smiling, waving Doctor Tofu.

"Have fun at school, girls!"

I must be going in circles, Ryoga thought, because this building looks very familiar. He spotted a boy in a school uniform, and moved to cut him off. Grabbing the boy by the collar, Ryoga lifted him to eye level and asked in a menacing tone, "Where is Furinkan High School?"

The boy, clearly frightened, and certainly not wanting to risk the sort of severe bodily harm that Ryoga seemed capable of dealing, raised one arm and meekly pointed to an embossed sign not five feet away. "It's r-right here, s-sir."

Ryoga turned to read the sign. 'Furinkan High School,' the kanji read. He stared at it for a moment, as if etching the strokes in his mind, then slowly lowered the boy to the ground. "Thank you," he uttered simply. The boy nodded and rushed into the school.

As he watched the boy's retreating back, Ryoga smiled, showing his fangs. "I've found you, Ranma Saotome. I've found you at last, and YOU WILL PAY!"

Only the second week of school, and I've got bucket duty again, Ranma grumbled to herself. And on top of that, Akane got in ahead of me, and doesn't have to do this. Damn this curse.

So lost in her musings was the redhead that she almost didn't notice the bell ring, announcing the start of lunch period. Almost, because it was quite difficult to not notice the ensuing flood of students, rushing out of the classroom and down the stairs. With a sigh of relief, she (carefully!) set down the buckets and joined the crowd, trying to find Akane's face among the many others. Ranma made it all the way to the front yard seeing neither hide nor hair of the other girl, so she turned back to enter the school building.

Before she got far, however, a first-year boy coming out the door lost his balance on the steps, hurdling into her and drenching her with a glass of iced tea. As the first year got to his feet, he apologized profusely, then stopped silent when he got a good look at who he was talking to.

"Uh, y-you're- the g-guy… that was l-looking for, um, R-Ranma, right?" the boy stuttered out. Looking a little more carefully, though, he noticed something was a little different. "Ano… why are you wearing a g-girl's uniform?"

A furious Ranma-furious in part because of 'his' transformation (and the resulting giggles and guffaws from a few students who were walking by), and another part due to the smaller boy's naïvete-glared up at the first-year. "I ain't lookin' for Ranma; I am Ranma! An' I'm wearin' a girl's uniform 'cause I'm a girl!" The first-year's eyes widened at Ranma, bewildered. "Well, I would be if ya hadn't splashed me with yer tea, baka-"

Ranma cut short, hefted the boy on one shoulder, and leaped, moments before the sidewalk between them exploded. "What the…?"

"So, Ranma. I see you're still good at running away!" an angry voice exclaimed coldly.

Turning to face the speaker, Ranma froze. "Y-you?!" he gasped. After a moment, he added, "Anou… who are you, anyway?"

Understandably, the gathering crowd joined Ryoga in receiving excruciating headaches, courtesy of Mother Earth. Ryoga lifted himself from his crater, glaring at Ranma furiously. "What are you trying to pull, Saotome? Because of you, I've seen hell!"

Ranma scratched his head, deep in thought. "No, no, I've never been there, so that can't be why I recognize you… hmm…"

"If you really don't remember me, then maybe this will jog your brain. You ran out on an honorable duel between men!"

"Oh! Wait a second, that sounds kinda familiar… um… um… Ryoga?" Ranma smacked his palms. "Yeah, Hibiki Ryoga! Oi, oi, long time, no see, pal!"

Ryoga smirked. "Long time, indeed. And to hide from my wrath, I see you've picked an appropriate disguise; after all, compared to me, you are as weak and timid as a girl."

"Huh? Disguise? What're ya- this?" Ranma asked, fingering the material of his blouse. "It's my uniform, or didn't you recognize it from all the other girls… around… oh. But hey, what're ya doin', anyway, attackin' me outta nowhere? Thought we were friends, Ryoga, ne?"

"Friends?! After you humiliated me? After you shamed me day after day? After you ran out on an honorable duel?"

At that, Ranma gaped. "Ran out? Whaddya mean? You were three days late to that duel."

"Yes, it took me those three days of grueling exertion just to reach the appointed place. And when I did, you had run away like the coward you are!"

The pigtailed boy gawked at Ryoga (as did many onlookers), an enormous sweatdrop rolling down his head. "Ryoga… the 'appointed place' was the empty lot behind your house. How could it take three days to get there?!"

"E-enough small talk! At least take your death like a man!"

"Wha-?"

A shocked Ranma was cut off by a left jab from Ryoga, then a right and another left. Instinctively he dodged sideways, each punch coming uncomfortably close to an ear, then countered with a low sweep kick into Ryoga's knee. The strike was blocked, though, by a large red umbrella that the lost boy had pulled from his backpack. He retracted the umbrella, then swung it in a downward arc at Ranma's legs. The pigtailed fighter easily jumped the attack, but was nearly caught in the head by the boy's foot as he followed up with a roundhouse kick. Ranma ducked beneath his leg, then dealt the boy an uppercut as he finished his spin facing her.

Ryoga landed several feet away, not very gracefully, but at least upright. He reached behind his head, untying the striped bandana that restrained his unruly hair. Ranma stood watching him, a bit put out that the boy was taking time out of their battle to groom-then watched in surprise as Ryoga began to spin the bandana on his finger, faster and faster, and faster still, until it was whirling like a circular saw blade, and looked just as dangerous. It's just a bandanna, Ranma told himself, but somehow he knew it wasn't. Ryoga raised the spinning cloth above his head, then let it fly toward Ranma.

Akane watched from the 'sidelines' as Ranma traded blows with the stranger, growing increasingly worried as they moved faster, their kicks and punches becoming nearly invisible. They're amazing, she thought in awe, and neither is even breaking a sweat.

When Ryoga brought out his bandana and started it spinning, she got a peculiar, queasy feeling in her stomach. This was not looking good; someone could get seriously hurt.

"Ranma, this guy's dangerous! Let me help you!" Akane shouted, running toward her fiancé.

"Don'tcha think I know that, Akane? Stay back! I can handle him!" Ranma told the girl.

"This guy wants to kill you, and you're telling me to 'stay back'? I can hold my own as a martial artist, thank you very much!"

"Listen, Akane, you say he's dangerous, but you don't know what this guy's really capable of," Ranma said with an unnatural calm, a glint of fear flashing in his gray-blue eyes.

What? Ranma… afraid? Then this guy…. Before she could finish her thought, a blaze of yellow streaked by her: the bandanna was clearly aimed at Ranma, but he had easily dodged it. Akane just stood there, frozen in shock, as the boy called Ryoga reached into his pack for another bandanna, and she nearly screamed when Ranma tackled her out of its way as it, too, flew erratically for the two of them.

She breathed a sigh of relief when it whizzed past their heads, then Ranma practically pushed her away, shouting, "I told ya ta keep outta the way! Just go; I'll deal with him!"

Akane was too dumbstruck to argue.

Distractedly watching the dark-haired girl backed away from the fight, Ranma didn't fully notice as Ryoga pulled out yet another bandanna, then several more. In rapid succession, he twirled each until their stripes blurred into the yellow, then released them directly at the pigtailed boy.

He dodged amidst the flurry of deadly cloths, charging at Ryoga with his fists at the ready. The lost boy looked on in amusement as Ranma closed the distance between them, then, at the last minute, he pulled his belt out sharply, holding it out before him. It hardened inexplicably into what could pass as a short sword, and Ranma, unsure of what to do, stopped abruptly, eyeing Ryoga warily.

Ryoga gave another toothy grin. "What's the matter, Ranma? Scared?"

"Nah, just lettin' you make the first move," Ranma replied, returning the wry smile, even as his hands shook.

He did just that, and if it were possible, Ryoga's wide grin only seemed to get wider. Swinging the belt in a wide arc, he chuckled when Ranma flinched at the high-pitched whistle the belt made as it cut through the air. She was unprepared for the lost boy's next move; he swung the belt again, but this time, he released it, and the strip of hardened leather flew at the redhead like a boomerang.

Ranma barely dodged the belt, but the distraction left him open for another assault by Ryoga, a series of powerful kicks delivered to her sides and legs. Ranma blocked the majority of the blows, dodged a few of the higher ones, but his fatigue-and fear-began to show.

The pigtailed boy was almost caught unawares again, when the belt, having made a large circle around the open arena, returned from behind him, again like a boomerang. He sensed it just in time, but it came uncomfortably close, whistling like before as it passed over him. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Ranma watched the belt twist and soar, then realized that it was arcing straight for Akane-whose attention was currently away from the fight, as she was still somewhat bitter about being told to keep out of it.

"Akane!" he shouted. "Akane!" Ranma knew the girl was a skilled martial artist, but the belt was flying too quickly-she wouldn't be able to dodge, and Ranma wouldn't be able to get there in time. One last time, he shouted as loud as he could, "Akane!" The girl finally heard him above the excited chatter of the crowd, and whipped her head around to look at him, only to see instead a whirling blade just a few feet ahead of her, and moving with great speed…

Deadly speed. With a sickening rip, the blade-belt had hit, passed entirely through, and barely slowed. Its end drove into the ground, a length of bloodstained fabric fluttering from the tip like a barber's flag. Across the yard, Ranma gasped, and fell to his knees. "A- Akane… oh, no…"

Akane was flooded by a sense of shock. She raised a tentative finger to her neck, and drew it away bloody, a few tiny links of gold chain adhering to the blood. Reaching back again, she ran her hand behind her head, feeling the short brush of midnight hair that had once reached her waist; Akane noted with some irony that it now reached her feet. It was the last thought she had before she collapsed, face first, throwing up a cloud of the dusty and red-spattered ground.

As though in a trance, Ryoga stared at the fallen form. To him, this was a new experience-not the fight, or the pain, or even the blood; no he'd seen all that before, and knew he would see it again and again. What was new to him, what his mind had trouble comprehending, was that he had done all this to a girl. Hadn't he been trained to protect women? to keep them from harm? And yet here he was, causing with his own hand what looked to be a serious wound, and to as innocent a girl as he'd ever seen.

Ranma was suddenly beside him, then past him, rushing to Akane's side. With a gentle touch, the pigtailed boy checked her pulse, then leaned over to listen for her breathing. But when Ranma lay his head on her chest, Ryoga assumed the worst.

"Oh, Kami-sama, no," he muttered. He, too, ran to the girl, and tried to lift Ranma off to get a closer look, but the boy's eyes were closed, and his arm was around Akane's neck, holding a pressure point to suppress the diminishing blood flow.

"She's okay," whispered Ranma, mostly to himself. "She'll be okay. Just- just a cut. Gods, I was so worried."

Ryoga found himself moved by the sentiment, but more intriguing was the way Ranma said it. In all the years he had fought and followed the Saotome boy, he had not once heard even watashi. But for as egotistical a boy as Ranma, using the feminine atashi was like signing your own death warrant, yet Ryoga heard it with his own ears.

Then it clicked. The odd speech. The school uniform. The way Ranma fought, as though unfamiliar with his body. Could it be? Ranma is really… a girl? But how is that possible? He's always gone on about how manly he is, how weak and defenseless women are. What's going on? Only one way to find out.

"R-Ranma?"

Ranma lifted his head. "Nn?"

Ryoga's expression softened; his earlier loathing was tempered by Ranma's unexpected concern for this girl Ryoga barely knew, or for anyone. "I really don't know how to say this, but… what are you?"

"Huh?" The pigtailed boy was genuinely confused. "What, like what?"

"Er, I mean… you see… well, what are you, a guy or a girl? I always thought you were a guy, but…."

"Ah." Ranma chuckled quietly, saying, "So did I, Ryoga. It's a long, long story." He sat up, lifting the unconscious Akane into his arms. "Let's get her to the clinic, then maybe I'll tell ya what I can."

At the school clinic, the nurse confirmed to Ranma that Akane had only gotten a cut, albeit a large one, and it had fortunately missed any major blood vessels. It only needed a few gauze pads, but the Tendou girl would need rest for the remainder of the day to recover. Ranma had gotten some hot water from the nurse, and she and Ryoga were now sitting in a pair of chairs in the waiting room.

"It's like this, Ryoga," Ranma began. "Mom and Pop always wanted a boy, ne? But they got a girl the first time-me. An' after I was born, Mom couldn't have no more kids, so my Pop tried to find some way of makin' her think I was a guy. He'd got the doctors to call me 'him' around my Mom, and he'd dress me as a guy, and he even did all the diaper changin' so's she'd never know." She gave a cheerful laugh. "Can't say he weren't determined, hm?"

Ryoga found the story interesting, he really did. But Ranma's lilting voice mesmerized him, and his mind kept returning to the first time he'd met him-her, he reminded himself; it would take some getting used to. That day was in his first year at middle school, as it was for Ranma. And at an all-boys' middle school, lunchtime was war….

-:-

"Last melon-pan of the day!" cried the lunch-lady. "Who wants melon-pan?"

"Me!" "I do!" "Gimme it!" replied no less than a dozen voices. While they shouted, from behind the crowd approached a lone boy, shoving aside anyone who got in his way. Reaching for the package, he was abruptly knocked backward by a slippered foot, and crinkling cellophane announced the demise of the precious bread.

Ryoga spun to face his attacker, and saw a younger boy, hair in a ponytail, and half a loaf of melon bread stuffed in his mouth. "You," spat Ryoga. "What's your name?"

"Mm? Smtmelmwdsu," the other boy answered around his crumbs. He swallowed, then repeated, "Saotome Ranma. And you?"

"My name is Hibiki Ryoga, but you can call me… pain," Ryoga snarled. "Because that's what I'll be giving you for stealing my melon bread!"

"This?" asked Ranma, waving the empty wrapper, and laughing when Ryoga bared his teeth. "Eh? Chotto, 'Hibiki Ryoga'? The guy who got lost for a week last mo-" He stopped to dodge a rock-solid fist aimed for his jaw.

"You just shut up about that! You don't know what you're talking about!" The 'lost boy,' as Ranma thereafter decided to call him, was irate. "I was not lost! I was- was-"

By now, Ranma was unable to hold in his laughter. "Lost, ne? Heard it took ya two days ta reach the school gate, and the five after for gettin' downtown!"

"SHUT UP! IT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSI-"

The pigtailed boy smiled as his jibe got exactly the reaction he'd expected. "Want some help?"

"-NESS… huh?"

"I said, want some help? If ya want, I'll help ya find yer way around, nn?"

Doubt and confusion were written all over Ryoga's face, but after a moment's hesitation, he grunted. "I… I guess so. But don't go thinking you're better than me! I just have trouble with directions, is all!"

Ranma's smile widened at the once-again predictable response.

-:-

Wow, even back then, I was a jerk. No, he was, too! … but he was only asking if I wanted help. And if I'd known Ranma was really a girl, I- I- what would I have done? Though it was only in his daydream, Ryoga steepled his fingers in anxiousness as an imaginary Ranma-chan asked him if he wanted help, did he need help getting around?

"Oi, Ryoga, you okay in there? Need some help gettin' back ta earth?"

"Yes, please, I'd- what? Oh, I… sorry."

"Heh, it's okay, guess I was kinda ramblin'. Ya coulda just told me so, y'know? But anyway, you ever hear of this place called 'Jusenkyou'? 'S'where my Pops took me ta get that last step, me actually turnin' into a guy." She snorted. "It's got these springs with curses on 'em, and whichever of 'em ya fall into, ye're gonna turn into some animal or person. Pop tossed me into the 'Spring of Drowned Man,' and that's what I'd been ever since."

"J-Jusenkyou?!"

"Yeah. Ever been there? Nasty place, I hear, but it was so long ago, I can barely remember it."

"Err, no, no, never heard of the place," Ryoga answered, a little too quickly. Ranma gave him a curious stare, then continued her story. The lost boy, however, was busy contemplating this new fact. Jusenkyou… it's no wonder I never knew. When I met him-her, she was a guy!

Ranma waited out the second half of the school day in the clinic. Even though Akane had simply fainted from shock, Ranma wanted to be there when she woke up. Ryoga had nowhere else to be, so he sat with the redhead, listening to her recount some of the better moments in her sixteen years. He was amazed to learn that she counted the years she'd spent with him at middle school among those times.

An hour later, she had wound down the tale, and turned to Ryoga beside her. "So, you could say that's the story of my life," concluded the girl with a smile. "How about you? What've you been doin' all these years, eh?"

The lost boy shrugged. "There's… not much to tell," he sighed. "I've been, well"-an embarrassed chuckle left his lips-"lost."

"Aww, c'mon, it can't be all that bad, ne? Betcha you've seen some cool places I ain't never been to."

"Believe me, Ranma… there are places that you don't want to get lost. Didn't you say something about a place in China that was full of cursed pools? Just imagine," he said, waving his hands dramatically, "what might happen if I got lost someplace like that! I might end up as a- a camel or something!"

Ranma's eyebrow raised at his outburst. "Camels? In China? Ryoga, buddy, you need to calm down. Hey, you ain't got a place to stay, right? Maybe I can ask Tendou-san if he'll let you sleep at the Dojo for a couple o' nights, how's that sound?"

The boy's hand went to his head, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "Err, that's, um, fine, I guess," he replied.

"Great!" Ranma smiled widely, then set upon Ryoga in a bear hug. "It's good ta see an old friend again, Ryoga. Glad there's no hard feelin's, ne?"

"R-right, n-no hard f-feelings." Ranma's 'attack' had brought a crimson flush to the lost boy's face, and he was having considerable trouble keeping his mind off the prominence against him that demanded his attention. "Ano, c-can you not do that, p-please?"

"Nn?" The redhead looked down. "Ah, gomen, Ryoga-kun," she apologized-then her smile turned sly. "How about this?" She sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms around the boy's neck, and kissing him demurely on the cheek.

Moments later, she dove from the chair, desperately dodging the shower of blood that spouted from Ryoga's nose.

(A/N: Bidaaah! What were you were expecting, a lemon scene? It's PG, for cryin' out loud! =·P )

"Ranma-chan, is it really such a great idea, do you think? I mean, he's a guy, and we're both girls; he might… try something, you know." Akane gingerly touched the gauze bandage on her neck, glancing at Ryoga from the corner of her eye. He walked heavily, a few paces behind them, his eyes lowered abashedly. Ever since she'd woken up, Akane noticed he hadn't once looked her in the eye, instead always watching something off in the distance, or staring at the ground. She had told him again and again, she didn't blame him (well, not entirely, anyway) for her injury, but he just muttered about 'desecrated honor' and 'didn't Father always say?'

"Nah, Akane, believe me, he's not that kinda guy," Ranma insisted. "I've known him since middle school! He's all tough and everything most o' the time, but get him around a girl or two and he's the shyest thing you ever saw! Damn, if I'd only known I was a girl back then, I'd've-well, naw, I guess I wouldn't o' been at his school, then. Anyway, he'll prob'ly be okay with stayin' out in the dojo, ne? At least it's warm in there."

"Well, all right. But he'd better be on his toes; the first sign of anything-anything! and Daddy'll have him out on the sidewalk, I know he will. I wouldn't even have been allowed to date Kuno if he weren't from a well-to-do family."

"Maaa… you keep goin' on about that guy. He's a jerk if ya ask me. A rich, chivalrous, and really handsome jerk, sure, but a jerk."

Akane giggled hearing Ranma's declaration. "I'm sorry, did you just call Kuno 'handsome'?"

"Eh? So I did. What's gotten into me? I sound like a gir- never mind."

On the verge of laughing aloud, the Tendo girl twirled around to look at Ryoga again. He still wasn't looking up-it was a wonder he was still behind them-and in the distance, a dark cloud was coming over the horizon, and she heard a quiet crash of thunder. "Looks like it's going to rain tonight, Ranma. We'd better get home quickly, or you'll have to take another bath before bed."

"Kuso, you're right. Oi, Ryoga, you with us? Or do I gotta hold yer hand?" Ranma smirked as the lost boy's face turned pink. "Aww, c'mon, it's not like ye're my boyfriend or nothin'. Think of it like in middle school, I'm just holdin' yer hand to keep ya on track."

Ryoga picked up his pace a little, coming up on Ranma's other side. "Thank you, but it- it's not necessary."

The trio shortly came to the front walk of the Tendo Dojo, but before they could knock, the door flew open.

"Oh, Akane-chan, I was so worried about you! The school nurse called saying you'd been in a fight! How could you do that to your dear old father? This heart isn't what it used to be!" Tendo Soun burst from the house, sobbing and bawling as he clutched Akane's skirt.

"Daddy, please! I wasn't in a… fight, exactly," she explained, trying to pry her father away. "I was just, well, in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm fine now, really."

The elder Tendo stopped abruptly, and straightened. "Well, that's fine, then. I would be devastated to find out my own daughter was in a schoolyard fight. And… just who is this young man?"

Hoping to soften the blow, Ranma took over the conversation. "Sir, I think I can explain. This is Hibiki Ryoga, an old friend of mine from chuugaku. He needs a place ta stay for a couple o' nights. Thing is, he, er, kinda attacked me, th-thinkin' I was somebody else, an' accident'ly hit Akane instead, so…."

Soun swiveled on his toes, staring Ryoga in the eye. "You attacked one of my guests, furthermore injuring my daughter? And now you want to stay in my home?!" Though the demon-head didn't appear, those present swore that they saw Soun's face swell a few sizes.

"Daddy, it was all an accident, a misunderstanding!" Akane interrupted.

"He really wouldn't hurt a fly, Mister Tendo." Ranma patted Ryoga on the shoulder. "He's not a bad guy, just a little confused." The lost boy scratched his head sheepishly at the offbeat praise.

Relaxing, Tendo Soun rocked on his heels, tapping his pipe thoughtfully. "Well, if it's only for a few days… oh, I suppose you can sleep out in the dojo, if you don't mind."

"I don't if you don't, Tendo-sama," answered Ryoga, his head bowing even further.

"Please, call me Soun. And be warned that I will not tolerate improper behavior in my household."

Ryoga nodded in acknowledgment. "Of course. Gomen kudasai."

"Not at all, young man," Soun replied in a more jovial manner. If this boy is as honorable as Ranma says, then perhaps our troubles can be resolved, he told himself. But that remains to be seen.

In the dojo, a single futon was rolled out along the wall. The soothing rush of raindrops on the roof lulled Ryoga, calming him much like the river he once trained beside… he recalled fondly the days when he could walk in the rain, swim in the sea, all without fear or shame. But now, he didn't have that freedom; water was forbidden to him, or the creature that haunted him would surface. Wasn't it bad enough that he became such a helpless animal, but it had to be the sort that were eaten as a delicacy, too? Perhaps the gods were laughing at him that very moment.

Lost once more, but in his mind, not the world, Ryoga hardly noticed as the dripping water came up around him.

Soun smiled at the muted giggles coming from Akane's bedroom. He was glad that the girls were getting along so well, especially considering the less-than-warm welcome Akane had given the redhead at first. But they'd found much in common: martial arts, a knack for trouble (his smile faltered slightly at that though), and of course, both needed a friend. For all her qualities, it seemed to him that poor Akane lacked any real friends at school, a fact that worried him almost more than a simple fight.

Meanwhile, in the girls' room, the two had turned the night into a sort of sleepover-at which no one really sleeps, anyhow-and they were entertaining themselves with the usual ghost tales. Well, perhaps not the usual ones; Ranma was currently yarning about a demon cat that her father had set upon her under the guise of 'training,' while Akane did a good deal more laughing at the absurdity than shivering in fear.

<THUMP>

Ranma froze, fear showing in her eyes. "A-Akane… what was that?"

"Oh, very funny, Ranma. You're not going to fool me with that one."

"I'm s-serious, Akane! Y-you didn't hear it? That 'thump'? I heard somethin'! I swear I heard it!"

"All right, all right. You don't have to get your stockings in a bunch. I'll go check the window, okay?"

"Just check it out, p-please? I'm freakin' over here."

Akane undid the window's latch and slid it open. Rain blew in, all over the desk and onto the girls' faces, but nothing more. "See? It's just your imagination. Maybe the wind knocked over a trash can or something, but there's nothing out th-" She paused, and her face paled as a gray blur shot by it. "Ranma?"

"Yeah, Ak-kane?"

"You did s-see that, r-right?"

"Mm-hm."

The girls sat, frozen in fear, watching for any other sign of the… thing. After a few minutes of waiting, they decided it must simply have been their overactive imaginations-until Ranma felt a gentle tugging at her pant sleeve. Settled in her lap was a blue-gray kitten, its eyes closed and mewling softly. The redhead sat deathly still, willing herself to stay calm, to no avail.

"KYAAAAH! IT'S A C-C-CAT! GET IT OFFA ME! GET IT OFFA ME! OH GAWD!"

"WAIT! RANMA, IT'S JUST A KITTEN! STOP RUNNING AROUND, YOU'RE GOING TO HURT IT!"

"IT'S POSSESSED! I SWEAR! GET IT AWAY! AWAY!"

"OH, COME ON YOU BIG BABY! IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Soun smiled at the muted screams coming from Akane's bedroom. He was glad that the girls were having so much fun together.

Author's Notes: Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), this chapter is much longer than I expected it to be; it's over half again as long as the other two. I doubt I'll be able to keep up this length, though. Anyway, I'd like to say I'm sorry, I know this chapter also took a lot longer to come out with than the others so far. I can hear you saying, "Since when is four months 'a couple of days'?" Reasons for the delay are many, the foremost being good ol' summer lazies. The kind where you tell yourself, "I finally have time to do it!" and then sit around for weeks thinking about doing it. You know what I'm talking about.

Other than that, for one thing, I found out the hard way that, for me, Ryoga is a very difficult character to write. I've got plans for him in this story, and I hope to make him a rather deeper character than in the canon, so it was a matter of finding the right balance and developing his background gradually… or somesuch mumbo-jumbo. Suffice it to say, there's a good reason he's not in too many of my other fics.

Also, like many fanfic writers, I am a student, and what with classes, exams, grades, and some necessary recovery time, I just recently got back to writing my longer stories. Not to mention that during my break, I got a few new ideas-amazingly enough, without Ranma in them-that I've been trying to get on paper, though for the most part my series (serieses? serii? O, the simplicity of the English language) are top priority.

Excuses, excuses, everywhere, and not a bit believed. Eh, before I go away again, however, I'd like to demonstrate one of the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu techniques that I've been practicing. [Kneels with hands on ground] Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! Gomen na- <WHAM> Itai… that is one hard floor….

Ryoga: Hey, CompMan! What are you doing in Niigata?

[Stands up shakily, rubbing forehead] Huh? Niigata?! This is Florida!

Ryoga: Oh…? Well, that would explain all the 'Disney World' signs.

Probably… and if you plan on making it back to Tokyo for the next chapter, I'd suggest you get a head-start now.

Ryoga: Er… yeah. But while I have the chance, I want to ask… you're not going to have me falling in love with Ranma-chan like all those other cheesy 'Ranma-becomes-a-girl' fics, are you?

[Grinning evilly] Maybe, maybe not.

Ryoga [sweatdrops]: Y'know, that's just wrong.

Oh, okay, okay; probably not.

And as I've said before, but I'm sure some people are starting to wonder since it's been so long: I'll keep writing if you keep reading. Jaa!

Next chapter: Say hello to… Ki-chan! Ryoga discovers the joys-and sorrows-of his curse! Stay tuned for Part 4: The Cat's Pyjamas!

P.S. Disney World is a copyright and registered trademark of the Walt Disney Corporation and is used without permission. In addition, the views and opinions expressed by Hibiki Ryoga are not necessarily the views and opinions held by the author. I would hardly call such fics 'cheesy'; heck, I'm writing one myself, and many of the others I've read were excellent, cute even. :·)

P.P.S. I may not be there, but Niigata is the home of a certain dear woman who wrote and illustrated a series of comics about a boy who was cursed to become a beautiful girl… oh, you've heard of her? All right, then.