** In order for this to make sense, you should be familiar
with "Ranma nibun no ichi", all episodes. My thanks to Kunoichi
for her excellent stories and inspiration.
Please note!! This is a something of a Parallel Universe
to the one represented in Kunoichi's series, and is in *NO* way
intended to be a continuation or addition to her storylines.
Since this is a first effort, I 'borrowed' from an
established line. If response is good, I'll go out on the limb
with my next effort.
As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright Rumiko
Takahashi, and are used without permission.
All of her characterizations, circumstances and backgrounds
used with **Kunoichi's** permission.**
====================================================================
Almost a Miracle - Part 1;
Once Again, Never again to Jusenkyo.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Akane crossed the dining area of her home, casting a glance
at Soun and Genma as they engaged in yet another game of Go. It
never ceased to amaze her that every time they would visit, they
would instantly fall back on their old habits.
Nearby, Miyabi played contentedly at the low table,
arranging a plastic tea service with the precision of a watchmaker.
Ranma appeared at that moment as well, toweling sweat from his brow.
He had just finished with the day's classes, and for his part,
looked forward to a bath and some of Akane's curried rice, which he
could already smell.
Noticing her heading up the hall, he turned and followed
after her.
"How did the class go?" she asked, as he fell in beside
her.
"Excellent. I think we may get a few representatives into
the Tournament next month, and Uuchan's daughter is showing some
real power," he replied, towelling his hair. "How was your day?"
"Miyabi finally figured out her spinning kick, and broke
the back door again. I swear, attitude and all, she's onna-Ranma's
daughter," she replied, elbowing him gently.
The jibe about his female half stopped him in his tracks,
at which he returned a strange look.
"R... Ranma? What is it? Did I say something wrong?"
she asked, reaching to him.
"Akane... We have to talk. But not right now. I have
to get a bath first," he replied quietly, then walked quickly to
the bath.
Akane meanwhile, cupped her hands under her chin, her
delicate features distorted by worry. She had not seen this in
Ranma for several years, and feared that certain 'old ghosts'
may be revisiting their happy home.
Her depressing thoughts were thankfully interrupted by
Miyabi-Ko, who had wandered up tugged on her apron.
"Okaasan... Okaa-san! Masao-kun is awake. He's awful
mad, too!" she announced, her green eyes sparkling in the
afternoon sun.
"Oh, Mi-Chan. Don't worry. I'll fix him up right now,"
she replied, scooping the 6 year old up and kissing her forehead
lovingly.
Ranma stood naked before the mirror in the bath, staring
at his male form. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the bucket of
cold water beside him, and dumped it over his head. Upon shaking
the water off, she opened her eyes and stared at herself. The
red-haired Chinese girl in the mirror stared right back, eyes
already welling with tears.
She knew that every male who had ever cast eyes on her
body wanted it badly; like Kuno, who would still glomp it every
chance he had, whether Nabiki was around or not. Even she had
to admit, it was a nice body, but, after so many years and so
many problems, she'd grown to hate it.
The girl in the mirror began to scowl as Ranma thought
about how life would have been so much better had the curse never
happened. Her beautiful, happy daughter, and strong, healthy
young son would never have needed to call a woman 'Papa', and
she's hav ebeen able to swim, play in the pool, or have a game of
garden hose tag with them as their Dad. As well, she would
have known the simple pleasure of walking the beach in ankle-deep
ocean water with her beloved Akane; as her husband.
She loved her family with everything she was, and it hurt
deeply to know that they also bore the curse.
The sad-faced girl reached up and undid her pig-tail,
allowing the flame red hair bound within it to fall freely about
her shoulders. Looking at the reflection once again, the tears
that had only threatened to flow became a sniffle, followed by a
full-fledged cry. Then, the small body that was hers but his
crumpled to the floor, the release of emotion too overwhelming.
Fighting the tide back, she picked herself up and moved
slowly into the hot bath, drawing comfort from the enveloping
warmth. Pulling his now male form into a sitting position, his
face grew determined.
"No doubt about it. It's time. And there ain't nothing
or no one that's gonna stand in my way."
Meantime, Akane and Mi-Chan carried the last of the
serving platters into the dining room, where Soun and Genma were
already camped. Masao played on the floor beside Soun, who
couldn't help but smile proudly at his grandson. He had dreamed
of moments like this from his days training with Genma, but in
recent years had almost given up on any of his daughters marrying.
In particular the now almost 30 year old Akane. She, however,
ended up surprising him by giving him his first grandchild, and
maturing into a caring, loving wife and mother. His heart
twitched as he thought of how proud his dear wife would have
been, and of how much Akane reminded him of her.
Suddenly, he rose from his place, and politely excused
himself. Akane blinked, until she noticed the tear in his eye,
and the fact that he was headed for her mother's shrine.
"Oh, Dad..." she thought to herself, shaking her head.
"How's my little family?" Ranma then called out, as he
appeared from the hallway.
"Papa!" Miyabi exclaimed, running over to his waiting
arms.
He swept the little girl up, and spun her squealing
through the air. Masao wandered over as well, and watched the
show wide-eyed and grinning. He raised his pudgy little arms
to his father as he set Miyabi down giggling, and Ranma responded
by swooping him up and giving him a gentler spin.
"Careful, Dad... He just woke up," Akane cautioned,
smiling at the antics.
Throughout supper, Ranma chattered away happily with his
children, at times making them laugh so hard that they couldn't
eat. Akane tried to keep some semblance of order, but in the end,
all she could do was shake her head and smile.
After Akane and Miyabi cleared the table and Soun and
Genma returned to their Go board, Ranma wandered out by the pond,
settling on the large rock.
After several minutes, Akane noticed her husband sitting
alone, flinging the occasional stone into the glassy water.
Biting her lower lip, she walked out and sat beside him. "Ranma?
What's bothering you? I'm not used to you being so quiet."
"Akane... " he began, tossing another stone. "We have a
little money, now that the Dojo is doing well, and the kids are
finally old enough. I think..."
"Don't say another word. I know what you're going to
suggest," she broke in, lowering her eyes. "You want to go
back to China."
"Yeah," he replied, softly. "I've brought enough
disgrace to this family, and it's time to rid myself of this
curse -- for good."
"Ranma... If it's me you're doing this for, you needn't
worry. I love you no matter what form you take."
"I know. That's why this hurts so much," he replied,
tossing another rock, this time with emphasis.
"Akane, you and the kids are my entire life. I can't ask
you to bear this disgrace any longer simply because of your love
for me," he began, turning and taking her soft face in his hand.
"And our children; I'd die for them, but I subject them to this
burden every day of their lives. It's too much to ask, Akane,"
he continued, his fists clenching. "I never want to see that
red-haired girl again," he continued, his aura flaring briefly.
Akane could see the years of built up rage in her
husband's eyes, and sighed heavily, her heart going out to his
tortured soul. Reaching up, she hugged him for all she was
worth.
"If you want to go back to China, then we can leave any
time you wish. I just want to be with you, and I want you to be
happy."
"Thank you Akane... I love you," he replied, returning
the hug in kind.
After making some very discreet arrangements, Ranma and
Akane boarded a plane on a direct flight for Hong-Kong. They had
gone to great lengths to ensure no one knew of their plans, and
even bought their tickets under false names. Ranma didn't want
anyone knowing he was going, since he wanted to handle the affair
privately, and avoid a disaster like the "Japanese Nyannichuan"
incident.
Upon arriving, they wasted no time in picking up the
rental car and heading for Jusenkyo. Akane was nervous about
the entire trip, fearing that something would go wrong, leaving
them in a worse predicament than the one they sought to remedy.
Also on her mind was that, despite never having told Ranma so to
his face, she had grown to genuinely like onna-Ranma, and knew
she would miss her.
As they traveled, Ranma became more excited with each
passing mile. He described various places along the route that
he and his father had been through, telling Akane of their
training rituals, adventures and misadventures. She was
impressed with his knowledge, even though almost fifteen years
had passed. That thought made her realize just how long they
had known one another, and how much they had changed over the
years. Ranma was no longer the brash, arrogant, excitable boy
she once knew, and she was no more the headstrong, pugilistic,
narrow-minded girl she had once been. She still threw the odd
object at Ranma when his mouth moved faster than his brain, but
time had mellowed them both, and they had a family to consider,
too.
As these thoughts played through her mind, she glanced
at her reflection in the vanity mirror, and gently fingered the
small strands of gray hair that had recently shown up in her
now fairly long pony-tail.
Sighing, she smiled gently to herself, and snuggled up
against her husband's side. Ranma smiled happily and draped
his free arm over her shoulders. She responded with a content
moan, and nestled in even closer.
As night fell, Ranma pulled into a Hotel that was
located only a few miles from Jusenkyo Proper, and the fateful
training grounds. Gently waking his dozing wife, he checked
them in and led her to their room. After unpacking, he took
advantage of the occasion to take her out for dinner, splurging
on a feast fit for a king in the hotel's fancy restaurant.
All through the meal, he noticed that she seemed a bit
preoccupied, even distant at times. After several attempts to
break the ice, he could stand it no longer.
Taking aim, he flicked a fish-cake at her cheek, where
it struck with a resounding splat.
She turned on him, eyes flaring. "What is your problem,
Ranma?" she yelled, slamming her hands on the table. The
sudden outburst caused a waiter directly behind her to
almost drop the tray he carried, and heads to turn all over
the room.
"Now that's more like it!" he exclaimed, grinning.
"Now you're back here with the rest of us," he continued,
looking her in the eye.
"Ranma, you...!" she began, about to issue her
favorite comeback. However, she stopped in mid-sentence, and
lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Ranma... I guess I haven't
been much company tonight," she stated, settling back into her
chair.
"What is it Akane? The food no good?" he asked,
trying to pry her thoughts out.
"No, Ranma... It's wonderful. I haven't had Chinese
this good for ages," she replied, trying to get into the
occasion.
"Okay... Then what is it?"
"I can't put my finger on it... I'm kind of confused,
I guess. I don't know how to feel about this trip," she
replied, resting her chin in her hands and looking back at him.
"Believe me, Akane... It's for the best. You'll have
a real husband for the first time in your marriage," Ranma
encouraged, reaching across the table to touch Akane's hand.
"I know... It's just going to be an adjustment."
Ranma nodded his agreement, and finished the rest of
his meal in silence, leaving his wife to her thoughts.
After dinner, they returned to their room, where Akane
promptly excused herself and disappeared into the bathroom.
Ranma used the excuse to flip through channels on the T.V.,
hoping for something amusing.
Several minutes later, Akane reappeared, dressed in the
sexy negligee she had first worn on their honeymoon, and
carrying something behind her back.
Ranma heard her approach, and turned to see her posing
demurely, looking every bit as lovely as she did on their
wedding night. With the light from the open bathroom door
creating an almost angelic glow around her, he drank in every
detail of her sexy curves, in awe of how she looked so gorgeous
even after almost 10 years of marriage and two children. Her
chest was still firm and perky, her stomach still flat and
lean, and her legs as lithe as those of a dancer.
"Akane... You look incredibly... Beautiful," he
finally managed to sputter, his voice barely a whisper.
"Ranma..." she began, voice almost timid. "I know how
you feel about this, and I would accept your decision not to
humour me, but I... Have to ask. Just once more... For the
last time?" she continued, producing a hotel ice bucket full
of water from behind her back.
He rolled off the bed, and in one fluid motion was
standing before her, looking straight into her pleading eyes.
"Akane-chan... For you, anything," he whispered,
pulling her soft form close.
Onna-Ranma awoke with the dawn, still holding the
slumbering Akane. She looked around the room and chuckled,
noticing how the bed and surrounding furniture resembled a
war-zone. Thinking about how it got that way brought a wry
smile to the Chinese girl's face, and a warm feeling to her
chest.
With a last look at Akane's sleeping face and a quiet
sigh, she slid from beside her sleeping spouse, and made her
way to the bathroom.
Standing before the shower door, Ranma looked at her
female incarnation once again, and her thoughts drifted back
to the previous night. Akane seemed to really enjoy making
love to her when she was like this, even though she loved sex
with his make side, too.
For a moment, she considered simply changing her mind
about going to the Springs. Intent as she was about shedding
the curse, she knew that if Akane wanted to keep onna-Ranma
around, she wouldn't be able to refuse her.
Sighing, she drew a bath, then stepped into the shower
and washed up.
As he sat in the bath a few minutes later, he heard
Akane stir and call out his name.
"I'm in here, Akane!" he responded, happy that she was
awake.
She wandered into the bathroom sleepily, still totally
nude herself. Ranma still had to swallow hard at the sight,
even though he knew her body intimately.
"Morning, sleepyhead," he chimed, rising from the bath
and grabbing a towel.
"Morning, Ranma," she responded, slipping him a big
kiss. He returned the favor, then patted her sexy backside
as he left the room.
After she finished in the bathroom, she rejoined him
as he sat at the small table near the bed. He could tell
that she was thinking again, and didn't have to guess what
about.
"What is it?" he asked, not really sure he wanted to
hear the answer.
"I... " she began, turning to look him in the eye.
"I was just thinking about the past, and how I used to think
you were such a pervert. But now... If this works... I
think I'm actually going to miss onna-Ranma. Last night...
Proved it to me," she sighed, wistfully.
"Akane... I..." Ranma began, but Akane cut him off.
"I love you Ranma... And I will support you whatever
you do. I'm... Really surprised I feel this way, but when
you think about it, she's been as much a part of my life as
you have. We've gone shopping, had ice cream, shared clothes,
talked girl-talk... She's even saved my life a few times,"
she explained, voice earnest. "Mi-Chan just loves to see you
change, you know. She's even dumped water on you just so she
could play with onna-Ranma," Akane continued, eyes downcast.
"I know..." Ranma agreed, smiling at the thought.
"It's just that I have to try to shake this curse, Akane.
Sure, its had a few good points, but its mostly been a big
pain. In fact, now that you mention it, it almost cost me
the most important thing in my life. You," he countered,
gently clasping her hand.
"Ranma No Baka," she sighed, leaning forward to hug
him.
They held each other for several minutes, during
which he could feel cracks appearing in his resolve.
Frowning, he decided to put the issue to rest for all time.
Grasping her shoulders, he lifted her face into view.
Looking straight into her bewildered eyes and drawing a deep
breath, he asked her the question point-blank.
"Akane... Once and for all, do you want me to change
back for good?"
She took a deep breath before responding. "Ranma...
You... Have to follow your heart. Do what's best for you.
My feelings don't really matter here. After all, this has
been your desire for as long as I've known you. I couldn't
bear thinking that you gave up on it just to please me," she
finally admitted, again lowering her eyes.
"Akane... If this fails, I... Won't try again. I
guess that would mean that I'm fated to remain like this.
But until I know, I can't rest," he asserted, sighing
inwardly. "And Akane..."
"Hai, Ranma?"
"Thank you for letting me try."
"Oh, Ranma..." she admonished, hugging him again.
Later, as the two of them settled into the car, he
looked over at her just as she returned an expectant face.
"Ready?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"As I'll ever be," she replied, with a wink.
"All right then... Let's go," he exclaimed, starting
the car.
A little less than half an hour later, he wheeled the
car into the grounds of Jusenkyo, and pulled up alongside the
small shack that to his surprise, still stood there.
Hearing the vehicle approach, the now aged Chinese Guide
poked his head out to see who it was. A moment later, he hopped
out of the shack and wandered up to it.
Squinting, he looked into the driver's side window, and
his eyes opened wide when he saw Ranma waving back at him.
"Sir! You come back! And bring pretty woman with you!
Very good, sir!" he exclaimed, stepping back as Ranma opened his
door.
"I never thought I'd be glad to see you again, old man.
Akane! This is the Guide Pop and I met here back in the
beginning."
"Pleased to meet you," she smiled, bowing.
"This pretty lady your wife, sir?" the Guide asked,
smiling. "She very, very pretty. You make strong babies with
this one, sir," he continued, shooting Ranma a wink. Akane
blushed.
"Why you come back to ju-sen-kyo, sir? Training ground
is closed for ever."
"I know... I came to show my wife the Spring of Drowned
Young Girl. She knows all about me, and I wanted to let her see
where it all happened. And... I want to reverse this curse," he
explained, looking levelly at the old Guide.
"Ohh, sir... Only one way you do that. You must be girl,
and fall in Spring of Drowned Young Man," he began, holding up
his familiar, though now grayed and tattered flip-sign. "Very
tragic story of man who drown in spring 890 year ago, and now
whoever fall in spring take body of young man."
"You're still doing that?"
"It my job, sir," the old Guide smiled. Akane, meanwhile,
giggled to herself.
"Okay... Take us in. It's time to get this over with."
"You sure about this, sir? Very dangerous!"
"More than you know," he deadpanned, grim-faced.
The old Guide shrugged, then walked toward the gate
leading to the Springs. As he opened the rusty lock, Ranma took
Akane's hand and led her into the training area.
Just as it had been almost fifteen years earlier, it was
made up of several hundred scattered pools of water, each with one
or two bamboo poles planted in it. Ranma found himself wondering
why the poles weren't rotted, since the grounds had been closed
for so long.
The Guide led the couple to a Spring near the eastern edge
of the grounds. Stopping, he turned to Ranma and Akane, and with
a flourish, announced the name of the Spring.
"This one Spring of Drowned Young Girl. Very tragic story
of young girl who drown in spring 1,500 year ago, and now anyone
who fall in spring take body of young girl," he stated, again
producing his flip-sign.
"So this is it, eh, Ranma? The source of all your problems.
Looks innocent enough," Akane observed, leaning forward for a
better look. As she did so, she felt Ranma's hand tighten on hers.
"Be careful, Akane... I don't want you fallin' in one of
these. Okay, old man, where's the Spring of Drowned Man?"
"Over there, sir. We go now, and I show you."
Again, they followed the Guide through a maze of paths, Akane
stealing a glance at Ranma as they went. His face bore a look of
grim determination, and she found herself becoming nervous for him.
She had to wonder what would happen if this didn't work, and found
herself afraid to even consider it.
Finally, they stood before the Spring of Drowned Young Man,
and Akane could sense Ranma tensing up. The Guide went through his
little ritual once again, then turned his attention to Ranma.
"Okay, sir. This it. You need to change to girl, then jump
in," he instructed, producing a bucket of water from behind his
back.
"Where did you get that?" he spat, recovering from his
double-take.
"It my job, sir," the Guide replied, grinning.
Taking the bucket from the guide, he waved Akane back
from the edge of the pool, and dumped it over his head. The
redhead shook the water out of her hair, then turned to Akane.
"This is it. Give me a hug goodbye, Akane... If this works...
You'll never see this me again," she half-smiled, opening her arms.
Akane stepped forward tentatively and hugged the small Chinese
girl, sniffing back tears. She wasn't sure, though, whether
the tears were for her, for Ranma, or somehow, for both.
Ranma finally broke from the hug, and turned back to face
the Spring. After several tense moments of silence, she drew a
long breath. "Here goes..."
With a blood-curdling yell that made Akane's heart skip a
beat, onna-Ranma leapt into the air, and with a graceful triple
forward roll, arced directly into the waiting pool. The impact
generated a huge splash, narrowly missing Akane and the Guide.
As the dark water closed over her, Ranma immediately
sensed something was terribly wrong. She was sinking fast,
almost as if the pool was dragging her down. Beginning to panic,
she struggled hard to get back to the surface, but gained little
if any ground. As she fought, she could feel her air running out,
and her muscles cramping up.
In her panicked mind, however, there was only one thought.
"Akane..."
The waters of the pool slowly settled back to a smooth
glassy surface, showing no trace of the huge intrusion it had just
endured. Several long seconds then passed with no movement, not
even a bubble rising to the surface.
Akane began to panic, and grabbed the hapless Guide by his
tunic.
"He's drowning! Get something to pull him out!! Fast!" she
shrieked into his face.
"Very bad! Very bad! I get rope!" he sputtered, turning
and running off.
Chest clenched, she dropped by the edge of the pool,
searching with blurring eyes for some hopeful glimpse. But there
was none.
"Ranma!" she cried, into the immobile, dark water. "Ranma!
Don't die! Ranma! Come up, you idiot!" she yelled again, until a
bone-rattling shudder ran her spine.
"Ranma, nooo...!"
Later, in the Guide's shack, a soaked Ranma lay silently
on a makeshift cot, covered with an old woolen blanket. The Guide
paced frantically, repeatedly muttering "This very bad... I tell
him; Very dangerous! I tell him!"
Akane lay slumped over Ranma's legs, crying quietly.
Ranma lay quite still, exhibiting no signs of life. Akane reached
up and gently brushed an errant lock of red hair away from her
eyes.
"Ranma... No Baka..."
Abruptly, the silence was shattered by a squeaky female
voice.
"I am *not* an Idiot!" Ranma announced, weakly.
"Ranma! You're alive!" Akane gasped, dropping a huge hug
on her.
"Ohh, sir... You make us worry. Not nice thing to do to
bride and old man like me."
"Errgghhh!" groaned onna-Ranma as she tried to sit up.
"Oh, damn, that took a lot out of me... Hey! Why am I still a
girl?" she demanded, staring at the Guide.
The Guide blinked. "Hmmm... You say you married?"
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with it?"
"Your girl-type... Still virgin or no?"
"No... But that's not supposed to be your business, anyway!"
she replied, cheeks flushing despite her growing anger.
"That it then. Girl-type not virgin, not same as girl who
drown in Spring. Other springs can't send spirit back if not same
any more. Too bad..." the Guide answered, shaking his head sadly.
"RRRRHHH! Why didn't you say so!! I wouldn't have bothered
coming!"
"Sir... You no ask!"
Onna-Ranma just glared at the grinning guide, fighting the
temptation to send him through the wall. Disgusted, she looked
around the room for Akane.
"Akane... Did you hear that? I'm stuck like this forever!
I'll never be able to shake this damned curse!" she yelled, her
voice cracking with despair.
"That's okay, Ranma... Everything will be just fine,"
answered a decidedly male voice from the shadows.
Ranma spun toward the voice, seeing only a head of dark
hair and those unmistakable eyes. Akane sighed, then leaned into
the light slowly.
"I guess it really doesn't matter that much now," Akane
continued, moving futher into view. Ranma shuddered, and had
to shake her head to take another look. Opening her eyes again,
her jaw dropped. Before her knelt a handsome Japanese MAN, who
bore a striking resemblance to Akane.
In fact, he was wearing Akane's clothes.
"A... Akane?" she sputtered, resisting what her eyes were
telling her.
"Hai, Ranma... It's me. When you didn't come right back
up, I dove in after you. The guide here had to pull us both out.
Now, I'm just like you... O-only in reverse," Akane-Kun replied,
expression somewhere between laughing and crying.
"Kuso... Akane. I'm so sorry... Can you ever forgive
me for doing this to you?" she pleaded, clapping her palms
together and lowering her head. "I... Never should have brought
you here. This is terrible," she continued, her heart breaking as
tears streamed from her eyes. "Now, you're cursed, too..." she
whispered, as the realization sank in.
"Oh, Ranma... It's not so bad. Now, we can just carry
on our lives. When you're a girl, I'll be a boy, and everything
will work out great," Akane-Kun encouraged, wiping his eyes.
"And I don't blame you... I knew what would happen, but it's
nothing compared to the thought of losing you. I'm just glad
you're alive," he continued, opening his arms to the sobbing
Chinese girl.
Onna-Ranma didn't need any more urging. She lunged
forward into Akane-Kun's arms, and the two of them burst out
crying.
The old Guide, meantime, turned and made a quiet, albeit
somewhat hasty departure.
Three days later, as they stepped off the plane at Nerima,
they noticed the gathering of family awaiting them inside the
Terminal Building. They looked at each other and sighed in unison.
"Well, best get it over with," Akane stated, winking.
"Yeah. Something tells me the fun is only starting," he
replied, winking back and taking her hand.
"As long as you mean the kind of fun we had back at the
hotel, I don't mind at all," she responded, grinning mischievously
and kissing his cheek.
With that, they waved back at the rest of the family, and
started down the boarding steps.
===================================================================
End - Almost a Miracle Part 1 of 3, A Ranma 1/2 FanFic By Coutuva
Comments Welcome, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@gmail.com
Well, there you have it... My first ever attempt at a Fanfic.
Apologies to Takahashi-chan, for whom I
have the greatest regard!
(
geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay) (
geocities.com/Tokyo)