Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Happi's Redemption ❯ Ranma Has Magic ( Chapter 13 )

Happi's Redemption

A Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction

By Michael A. Ivins

 

Ranma along with all of his friends, enemies and acquaintances are the property of Takahashi Rumiko. I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement and hopefully that of my readers. Sailor Moon and the Senshi aren't mine either. Please don't sue me.

 

This story takes place after the end of the manga.

 

Chapter 13

Ranma Has Magic

 

The sorceress checked her list and looked over the pattern she had drawn on the floor. When she was sure everything was ready she held out the staff in her hands and began a low voiced chant. As she chanted Ranma looked down at the design. As the ceremony continued his gaze kept moving around. Ms. Watanabe didn't let herself be distracted but did have the stray thought that the boy shouldn't be able to see any of the forces working on him.

 

When she spoke the last word of the last incantation she gave a satisfied nod. She called out to Ranma, “You should be able to change at will now. Try it out.”

 

The martial artist nodded and for the first time changed into a girl without water. Then she changed back. He frowned and said, “Hmm.”

 

The sorceress motioned to him and said, “You can come out of there now. Don't worry about the lines, we're done with them. We have a girl that comes in during the evenings who will clean it up.

 

When Ranma was seated in a comfortable chair, Ms. Watanabe noted, “You were looking around a lot when I was doing the spell. Why is that?”

The boy frowned and said, “I was checking out the light show.”

 

“Light show?” Now she was intrigued. “Ranma, most people wouldn't see anything. The `light show' you are referring to was mana, pure magical energy.”

 

“Huh?” Ranma had to think about that. “You're saying I can see magic?”

 

Watanabe-San directed, “Describe the experience to me as best as you can.”

 

Still frowning, he said, “Ok. I didn't notice anything until you closed the gaps in the design. Then the lines started to glow. It was pretty dim at first but got brighter. When you started to chant the lines brightened to be about the same as a florescent light tube.”

 

The sorceress nodded. What he had described was exactly the same as how it had appeared to her. She asked, “What next?”

 

He said, “New glowing lines branched off from the lines on the floor but these went up, straight up. When they were around the level of top of my head they curved in and met right over my head. It looked kind of like a cage and had me worried for a moment. Then I figured that it was just made of light and I should be able to pass through it if I had to.”

 

Considering further, “I'm not sure how I would know this, but I had the feeling that if I touched the lines of light they would feel warm. Anyway, after a few seconds the lines got wider until they met, making a kind of dome-topped tube around me. The light the tube was made of was still showing all the colors.”

 

“Then something odd happened,” he noted. “To my sides the surface of the tube began to bulge out until on my right it was like a statue of my girl form and on my right like a statue of my male form. They were hollow and it was like looking at the inside of a hollow statue.”

 

“Then the tube I was in started to turn. After it was moving pretty fast, it started to shrink. It shrank until it finally touched me. It was when it touched that I could feel the warmth and the tingling like I was changing forms. As the tube shrank and moved inside my body it was like I was pulled inside of my mind.”

 

“After a while I found myself in a room in front of the two statues again. This time they were complete statues instead of just the front parts. They looked like they were made of glass or some kind of plastic that was partly clear but sort of frosty so you could see light through it.”

 

“Translucent,” said the sorceress.

 

“What?”

 

She explained, “You need to expand your vocabulary. The word for something that light can shine through but you can't see through is translucent. If it was perfectly clear it would be transparent.”

 

“Oh,” he responded. “Ok, the statues were looked like they were made of some translucent material. In between them was a tall box-like thing, sort of like they put stuff on in museums.”

 

She supplied, “That's a pedestal.”

 

“Right,” he agreed. “On the pedestal there was a switch that looked like a lever. It had a long handle and looked like it was designed to move like this.” He moved his hand to illustrate. The switch was over to the side where the male statue was and the statue was glowing with a soft white light. On the wall behind the statues I could see something that I just knew was a countdown timer.”

 

Oh, that was interesting. Ms. Watanabe asked, “Do you know what the timer was for?”

 

He nodded. “It was showing the `free' time I had left before I was at risk of a random sex-change when my mind wanders.”

 

She inclined her head a moment in thought. “That sounds like it would be useful.”

 

After a moment to consider she said, “Part of what you describe is how the spell would look to me if I was inside it. Part of that is not in the spell as I designed it. Most people have no sense of magic at all. Some magic folks call them `muggles' but I prefer the term 'mundane'.”

 

The boy confessed, “I've never heard the word `muggle' before.”

 

She shrugged. “It's sort of a made up word to separate people who can do magic from those who can't. The word `mundane' is a real word that mostly means `dull and ordinary.' There are people who can see magic but not use it. That makes them not magical but not fully mundane. However, you can use magic.”

 

“What do you mean I can use magic? How could I do that?” He was confused.

 

She elaborated, “That `control room' in your mind wasn't part of the spell. You took control of the magic and set that up yourself. Normally I'd say taking control of a spell in progress would be a dangerous thing, but at the time you did that the actual business of the spell was done. You took control of the residual magical energy and added a little bit.”

 

He brightened. “Does that mean I can learn that clothing swap spell?”

 

Ms. Watanabe smiled, “It does indeed. From what I've learned today, I'd say you have the potential to be a powerful white mage. White magic is very strong in the healing arts.”

 

The pigtailed boy grinned. “Since I want to be a doctor, that's really handy.”

 

The sorceress laughed. “Yes, that works out well.”

 

He frowned. “I'm guessing that before we can we can start the lessons on the clothing swap, I need to have an outfit in stuff space.”

 

With a chuckle, the older woman confirmed, “That would help.”

 

Ms. Watanabe stood up and said, “Well that seems to be about all we can accomplish for now. Let's get you those books you wanted and then you can go home. Remember to come back tomorrow with a change of clothes in your stuff space. It might be a good idea to have more than one outfit. If you learn the spell as quickly as I think, you might want to practice by switching between a variety of outfits.”

 

After they left the workshop, the shopkeeper went to another room and from this one she got a stack of five books. The more `main stream' books came from the shop area at the front of the store.

 

After he got outside and had leapt to the top of a building, Ranma checked his mental timer and noted that there wasn't much time left before he was at risk of changing to female without willing. He mentally flipped the switch so the handle went over to the female side and felt the tingle of change.

 

Ranma looked down at herself. To be able to change without water wasn't as nice as not changing at all, but she'd take what she could get. Hopefully this meant she was no longer a water magnet. That would stop water accidents, but it wouldn't stop the idiots at school from throwing buckets of water, water balloons and shooting water guns. She hoped it wouldn't take too long for them to learn that she couldn't be changed with water any more.

 

She resisted the urge to go to Ucchan's to find out how Noriko's conversation with the chef had gone. It would probably best to let the girl calm down after being told that Ranma thought of her as nothing more than a friend. No, she would go back to the hotel for now, maybe with a stop in the park to work on some katas.

 

A little earlier in the day Noriko leapt down to the sidewalk a short way from Ucchan's Okonomiyaki. She paused to look around and thought to herself that the people in Nerima were perhaps too inured to the odd and unusual. None of the passersby seemed to take notice of her beyond the attention they would normally pay to any girl of her beauty.

 

The blonde girl walked the rest of the way and pushed through the door of the restaurant. A chime announced her entrance. It was early enough in the afternoon that the tail end of the lunch rush was still being served. There were still quite a number people in the place.

 

After waiting for a while a pretty waitress in a kimono came up to Noriko and led her to a table. The blonde said, “I'll have a squid and shrimp Okonomiyaki and some tea, Jasmine tea if you have it. I realize you're busy right now, but could you ask Ms. Kuonji to come talk to me when she has a free moment?”

 

The waitress glanced toward the kitchen. “Well, the lunch rush doesn't usually last much later. I would guess she would be available in about a half an hour. In the mean time you may enjoy your meal.”

 

Noriko said, “Thank you Mr. Kenzan.”

 

Konatsu took a probing look at the pretty blonde girl. This customer knew his name and knew that he was a boy. He didn't remember ever seeing this girl before, yet she seemed to know that he was a man in spite of the very effective disguise he wore. On top of that the girl knew Konatsu's family name.

 

The young kunoichi turned in the order and told Ukyo, “The woman at table seven asks to talk to you when you have some time free.”

 

“Sure thing, Sugar,” the chef answered. Then she stopped and looked at her waitress. “Something's bothering you, Ko-chan. What's up?”

 

The Ninja frowned and looked back toward where the blonde was sitting. "That woman knew my family name. She called me MR. Kenzan. Besides that, even though I could swear I've never seen her before, there is something oddly familiar about her.”

 

The chef shrugged. “Then I guess I'd better talk to her.” She poured the batter for the order.

 

A little later Noriko was savoring her meal. Ukyo really did make one of the best okonomiyaki in Japan. From her time as Happosai, she knew of a place in Tomobiki that had a good reputation. She would have to go check them out again now that her taste buds were renewed.

 

It turned out to be a little longer than Konatsu had predicted before Ukyo was free to come talk to her. The chef walked up to the table and said, “Hello, I'm Kuonji Ukyo. My waitress said you wished to talk to me.”

 

Noriko bowed her head. “Yes, thank you. I know you're a busy woman. I should preface what I came say by telling you that you and I have met before, but I've changed a lot since then.”

 

The chef was confused. She said, “Well, I'm sure I don't remember meeting you before. Although I get a feeling of something familiar about you. Maybe like someone I saw a picture of or maybe saw on TV.”

 

The blonde smiled and said, “Trust me, we have met before. Although to be honest, it feels like it was another lifetime. I've come to talk to you about Saotome Ranma.”

 

“Ranchan?” The chef exclaimed. “Is he back?”

 

The blonde nodded. “Yes, he is back. He is taking care of some business in another part of town. I'm here to take care of some more business on his behalf.”

 

The Chef looked angry. “Business? What kind of business. Are you another fiancé?”

 

“No, I'm not.” She added in thought, “At least not formally. I would like to change that.”

 

“Then what are you to my Ranchan?” The chef demanded.

 

The blonde maintained what to Ukyo, seemed an irritating calm. She said, “What do you know of the reason why Ranma left?”

 

Why wouldn't this infuriating woman just answer a direct question? “All the Tendos said he went to help out a sick friend.”

 

Noriko took a sip of her tea, then asked, “Do you who the friend was?”

 

Ukyo shook her head. “I don't know. There was some silly rumor that Happosai was dying and Ranchan was taking him to China for Jusenkyo girl curse water to save him.”

 

The former man smiled a little. “Yes, that does seem silly, doesn't it? The only problem is that the rumor is true.”

 

“What?” The brunette wasn't sure she could trust what she was hearing. “What do you know about it?”

 

The blonde took another sip of her tea and said, “The full story is rather long. The short version is that Happosai was actually born a girl, but her father wanted a boy so he got a witch to change the child into a boy at the age of one month. In addition to the spell that changed the child's sex was a curse that turned him into that little gnomelike creature you are familiar with when he hit puberty. He's been looking for a way to fix that for a long time.”

 

She continued, “Recently Happosai lost the ability to absorb the female ki that he got from fondling women and touching their underwear. Ranma was able to do a ki transfer when in girl form and keep the old man alive. They did go to China to get some girl water. They used it and turned the shriveled up old gnome of a man into a pretty blonde haired girl.”

 

“Blonde?” The chef looked confused. “Wait a minute! Are you saying you're Happosai?”

 

Noriko grinned. “I know. It seems unbelievable, doesn't it? I was Happosai, but I don't want to use that name anymore. I'm calling myself Tendo Noriko as a tribute to an old friend who died a long time ago.”

 

Ukyo shook her head. “No, I don't believe it! That shriveled up old prune of a man couldn't turn into a girl like you. It's impossible!”

 

The blonde reached over and patted the brunette on the shoulder in what looked like it was intended to be a comforting manner. She said, “Calm down. Now if you need proof…” She dropped something onto the tabletop that looked like a long bandage that had been loosely coiled. The former man said, “You always were something of a challenge wearing those bindings instead of a regular bra.”

Ukyo suddenly became away that a feeling of compression that she was used to was missing. She put her hands over her breasts and felt them now unfettered, but still covered by her shirt. She knew of only one person who could do what had just been done.

 

The brunette fixed her customer with a glare. “Ok, so you are… or at least were Happosai. I don't know anyone else who can do that.”

Noriko chuckled. “Actually I taught Ranma how that trick works. I explained to him that the original technique was developed so a martial artist could steal weapons and armor from an opponent, making them more vulnerable to punches and kicks. Stealing underwear makes good practice, though.”

 

Ukyo's glare intensified and she dropped her hands back to the tabletop. She said, “You're getting off the subject. What did you want to tell me about Ranchan?”

 

The former man said, “Ranma and I were stuck in China for a few weeks while we waited for Nabiki to make up a new passport for me that goes with my new face and gender. We had time to talk a lot and the subject of the fiancés naturally came up. After he got over his initial distrust for me, he opened up and told me things.”

 

The brunette held up a hand to cut off any further pronouncements. “If Ranchan wants to go ahead and get married or if he wants to break things off, he should come here to tell me himself.”

 

Noriko looked down at the teacup on the table and laughed. “A problem that Ranma has is that sometimes he is too kind hearted. It is the same problem that has caused the whole fiancé mess to drag on as long as it has.”

 

Now puzzled Ukyo asked, “How is having a kind heart a problem?”

 

“Think about it,” the blonde challenged. “Ranma could have told Shampoo to get lost a long time ago if he wasn't afraid he would hurt her feelings.”

 

The girl had a point, thought Ukyo. A feeling of dread seized on her. What did this girl want to tell her that Ranma couldn't say for fear of hurting her feelings?

 

Finally nerving herself to it, Ukyo asked, “What do you want to tell me that Ranchan can't bring himself to tell me in person?”

 

Swirling the remnant of her tea around in the bottom of the cup, Noriko tried to think of a way to phrase it in a way that wouldn't do more harm than needed. “Ranma does love you… as a friend, maybe as much as a sister.”

 

“No!”

 

The blonde waited but nothing more seemed to be coming after the one word protest. She went on, “Ranma has fond memories of the time you fought over okonomiyaki when you were kids. He thought of you as a pal, a buddy, one of the guys. Even he admits he was pretty clueless back then. When you came to school and he found out you were a girl he adjusted his thinking enough to recognize that as a girl you were pretty cute.”

 

The former man paused to see if her audience was going to say anything. She seemed to be smiling over the comment on cuteness. “The problem is that, while in his mind he accepts the idea that you are a girl, it hasn't reached his heart. There he still sees you as a buddy and can't accept the idea of romance with you.”

 

A scowl settled on to the brunette's face. “No! Ranchan loves me and I love him. We're going to get married and live together for the rest of our lives.”

 

Noriko shook her head. Ukyo seemed to have something of a blind spot in this area. The blonde asked, “In this dream of a married life do you picture Ranma working with you in a restaurant like this one? Do picture him as being the man to your wife? Where does his curse fit into this picture?”

 

“Of course we'd run a restaurant,” the chef protested. “We'd cook okonomiyaki and study martial arts. We'd teach both to our children.”

 

The former man nodded. “It seems like a pleasant enough future you have planned, at least for you. Have you ever asked Ranma if spending the rest of his life working in a restaurant is what he wants to do with his future?”

 

“Of course,” She insisted. “He'd love it.”

 

Noriko thought about it for a moment before saying, “Then it would seem that you don't know Ranma as well as you think you do. When we were in China, waiting for my papers, Ranma helped out at a local medical clinic. He discovered that he loves helping people and he would like to become a doctor.”

 

“A doctor!” Ukyo couldn't believe what she was hearing. “What about martial arts? I can't believe that Ranchan would abandon the Art to become a doctor.”

 

The older woman shook her head. “No, Ranma doesn't want to give up the Art completely. He would continue martial arts as a hobby, like Dr. Tofu does.”

 

“A hobby!” She shook her head in disbelief. “How could he switch from it being the whole focus of his life just like that? And you are okay with this? You're the Grand Master of his School. You'd be losing him as an heir. What about that?”

 

The blonde shrugged. “I'm young again. The issue of an heir isn't so urgent any more. If Ranma doesn't want to be the heir, then maybe one of his children will want to. Or maybe I can find someone else. I have time to work on it.”

 

Before Ukyo could come up with another question, Noriko pressed on, “If being a doctor is what will make Ranma happy, then that is what I want too. I don't care about whether he makes the Art a hobby or if he gave it up completely.”

 

Something finally penetrated Ukyo's consciousness. There was a certain look on Noriko's face when she spoke about Ranma. She had a tone to her voice that said things that the words spoken didn't. The look in her eyes spoke volumes when the chef was able to notice.

 

Such a thing shouldn't be possible. This woman was once reputed to be the most perverted man in Japan. She had been a selfish man who didn't care for anything but his own pleasures and the continuation of his martial arts school. Could Ukyo be reading it wrong?

“You love him, don't you?” The chef was afraid of the answer she would get.

 

The other woman shook her head. “I couldn't believe either it when I first realized it. It first started right after I changed into a woman. I wasn't strong enough to leap from tree to tree, so Ranma had to carry me. I found myself liking being held in his arms. Then when I dreamed about him kissing me I realized that I was attracted to him physically. I thought it was just the hormones from my body being female for the first time in centuries. Then I realized that I was attracted to her as well as him.”

 

The chef's mouth was opening and closing in a good imitation of a fish.

 

Noriko went on, “At the house we were staying at, our hostess put is in separate beds in the same bedroom. We talked a lot and it was in those conversations that I discovered that what I felt for Ranma was more than just the attraction of a woman for an attractive man or even another attractive woman. I love him.”

 

She was lost in contemplation. “I love his kind heart, his loyalty and his courage. I love the way he wants to help others. I love the way he rubs the back of his neck when he's embarrassed and the way he scratches the base of his pigtail when he's confused…”

 

“OKAY! I get it!” The brunette shouted, drawing the attention of several members of the thinning crowd of patrons in the restaurant. Ukyo had the grace to look embarrassed at making a scene.

 

In a quieter tone, the chef said, “I get it. You love him. You want to take him away from me.” The last was in a tone of sullen resentment.

 

Noriko shook her head. “I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. Yes, I do love him. However, unlike some other people I could name, I care more about his happiness than my own. I could put it down to the unusual combination of an old mind in a young body. I can feel the urges that teenage hormones can give, but I can think about them with a mature perspective.”

 

“What's your point, old hag?” Ukyo demanded.

 

The blonde frowned at the “hag” reference. The brunette was upset, so Noriko decided to let it go. “Well, if it would make Ranma happy, I'd like nothing better than to be by his side as he goes through medical school. I'd support him and encourage him. I'd even be the mother of his children if that's what he wants. And believe me when I say that seemed like such a foreign concept to me when it first crossed my mind. Now I find it growing on me.”

 

She held up a hand to forestall the argument Ukyo looked ready to begin. “Please notice I said `If it would make Ranma happy.' If I thought he'd be happier married to you I would bend every effort toward getting the two of you together. I'm not going to do that because I don't believe that what you want is best for him. Your vision of the future would stifle his spirit. He'd become unhappy. It might not happen right away but eventually there would be arguments and you would end up unhappy as well. I would predict that you would end up getting divorced.”

 

The former man felt ready to sum up. “I think you need to give some careful and (for a change) unselfish thought to this matter. What do you think would be best for Ranma? Personally, I see two possible courses. One of those would be for you to step back and content yourself with just being a friend. Continue on with your life and support Ranma as much as you can as a friend. If you still insist you must marry him then you should consider giving up your dream to help him follow his. If you do otherwise you risk losing him as both a friend as well as a future husband.”

 

She stood up. “Take some time and think about it carefully. Ranma will be by next week to ask what you have decided. By the way, I haven't told Ranma how I feel about him. I will wait to see if he comes to see it for himself and hopefully finds he has similar feelings. I care enough about his feelings that I am not going to add to the pressure on him.”

“Pressure?”

 

At that Noriko sat back down. “Don't you believe Ranma is under pressure? How about, `Ranma must marry Akane. The schools must be joined.'” She didn't exactly match the voice of Tendo Soun but got the tone, and mannerisms perfect.

 

She went on in an imitation of Genma, “Why have I been cursed with such an ungrateful, disgraceful son?” In a perfect copy of Nodoka's voice she said, “Insulting your fiancé is not very manly, Son.”

 

She went on, “Wo Di Airen! Ranma go on date with Shampoo?” In an imitation of Cologne's voice, “You will marry Shampoo, Son-in-Law.” She next did Kodachi, “Oh, my darling Ranma-Sama.” Then again, “Ranma No Hentai!” Pantomiming the swinging of a mallet, she said, “Wham!”

 

She shook her head again. “Let us not forget the rivals.” She did a good imitation of Kuno, “Fear not, fair one, I shall free my pigtailed goddess from the enslavement of the vile sorcerer Saotome.” As Ryoga she said, “Saotome Ranma, prepare to die!” Then as Mousse, “How dare you try to take my Shampoo away from me.”

 

“I've saved one of the best for last,” Noriko said. In a perfect copy of Ukyo, the blonde said, “You have to marry me, Ranchan. I'm the cute fiancé.”

 

Once again Noriko stood. She said, “Do you want to continue being part of the problem or are you willing to take a try at being part of the solution? Think about it and try to have an answer for Ranma when he comes by next week. Oh, by the way, the okonomiyaki was excellent. Thank you.”

 

Before Noriko could walk to the door out of the building Ukyo tried one final sally. “What about my Pop's yattai? Genma accepted the dowry! Ranchan has to marry me. He's honor bound!”

 

The blonde stepped back to the table as she reached into stuff space and a moment later something thumped onto the table in front of Ukyo. The chef looked to see what appeared to be a thick magazine with pictures of restaurant equipment on the cover.

 

“Thank you for reminding me. What you see there is a catalog from a company that makes and sells restaurant equipment. From page 110 to 125, among the ovens and deep fat fryers, they carry yattai. The selections range from a small unit for a street corner vendor that is suitable for heating up prepackaged foods up to a mobile restaurant you'd need a truck to tow around.”

 

She continued, “When Genma took your father's yattai I was trapped in a cave so I have no idea where the original cart may be or if it would still be useable if it could be found. Since I have no way to give you back the old yattai, I would be willing to buy you a replacement. Ranma promised that he would pay me back for it after he starts getting paying patients. If you don't pick one, I have another copy of the catalog. I'll pick out the cart that is closest to what Ranma remembers of the old one and buy that. I can have it delivered here in no more than three weeks.”

 

The chef was doing her fish imitation again. Noriko rolled her eyes, “With the replacement of the yattai, the dowry is returned and the marriage agreement is rendered null and void. That puts the possible marriage on the basis it should be, whether or not the boy and girl both want it. I've already told you Ranma's thoughts on the subject.”

 

The blonde glanced over to see Konatsu bussing a table on the far side of the restaurant. She turned back to Ukyo and said, “I know you think it is unfair that you love someone who doesn't love you back. Before you start thinking of the injustice of that, look at your waitress.”

 

Now looking confused, Ukyo demanded, “What's Konatsu have to do with it?”

“Why do you think the boy keeps working for you?” She asked. “It certainly isn't because of the high pay and great benefits. You pay him what would almost amount to slave wages and include food and a storeroom to sleep in. No, he stays because he is desperately in love with you.”

 

“You're imagining things,” insisted the chef.

 

“Am I?” The former man shook her head. “That boy aids you in your pursuit of Ranma because he cares more about your happiness than his own. You've allowed yourself to become so involved with your obsession over Ranma that you've turned a blind eye to any other possible romances.”

 

She studied the chef's face for a moment. “You do tend to throw yourself into things with obsession and passion. Spending ten years studying martial arts and cooking on the chance of meeting up with Ranma to gain revenge shows that. The fact that you were able to give up that obsession to refocus on a new one of getting married to Ranma, shows that you can change. Maybe you should open your eyes to the possibilities around you and see what has been waiting right in front of you.”

 

With a grin and in a slightly mischievous tone, Noriko said, “I tend to think that the girl who dresses as a boy and a boy who dresses as a girl might make a good couple. It would probably be a better couple than a girl who dresses as a boy with a boy who actually changes into a girl. Think about Ranma's girl form and ask yourself if you would enjoy intimate relations with another girl.”

 

This time Noriko didn't pause as she walked out of the restaurant.

 

After she leapt to the roof of a building across the street she paused to look at the front of the building that housed the restaurant. That actually went better than she had expected. She had half expected Ukyo to go into a fit of screaming and order her out of the place or possibly to assault her with a battle spatula.

 

In some of their conversations back at Lo Shen's house, Ranma had commented to Noriko that Ukyo was likely the sanest, most level-headed of the fiancés. Her own assessment was that being less crazy than the rest didn't mean you were sane.

 

Thinking about her comment on pressure, Noriko had to be honest and include herself as Happosai in the pressure that Ranma had been under. She hoped that she was no longer contributing to that. She was doing all she could to relieve the pressure now.

 

It had been a surprise when the chef turned out to perceptive enough to recognize Noriko's own feelings. She just had to hope that the younger girl was also perceptive enough to see the total sincerity that Noriko used to express what she hoped for Ranma's future.

 

As she leapt from roof to roof, Noriko contemplated what she was going to say to the Amazons the following day. It seemed likely that Shampoo was a lost cause. There was little chance the girl would be swayed by argument. The person to work on was Cologne. If Cologne ordered it, Shampoo would back off. She wouldn't like it, but she would obey.

 

Author's Note: Ranma now has greater control over his curse. He is hoping that this will translate into greater control of his life. It turns out that Ranma has magic that he never suspected before. Ukyo has been told of Ranma's true feelings and of his hopes for the future. Will she accept it? Does she really have a choice? Stay tuned to find out how this develops.