Chapter 18: You’re getting warmer… or hurry up! It’s getting cold!

The car arrived in record time at the house of Ranma Saotome. They got out of the car, Jasper on DragonGirl’s shoulder, and knocked on the door. The door creaked open.

"Hello? Oh, it’s you." Nabiki said, "Come on in." she said.

"How do you know us?" Nikkia asked.

"JAKON called. She told us you were coming." Nikkia nodded.

"Great computer." She mumbled. They came in and saw a giant panda, Ranma’s father, seated at the table, reading a newspaper.

"Uh, hi." Akane’s father sat up.

"Oh, it’s you." He said. DragonGirl nodded.

"I guess it is." She said uncomfortably.

"Ranma, more, um, suitors!" Akane’s father yelled. The three jumped.

"What did that computer tell them?!" Nikkia asked. Ranma came downstairs, in boy form.

"Um, hi." He said, squirming uncomfortably. Akane came in from the kitchen.

"Your oatmeal is almost done, Ranma. Hey! Who are all these girls?" She asked angrily. Just then, a black rose flew in from the kitchen. Kodachi ran from the kitchen and poured the oatmeal out the window.

"It shall never touch my darling Ranma’s lips!" she shouted. Kuno stood in the door.

"Ah, my twisted sister, it will never do for you to anger my dear Akane that way." He remarked. Akane ran for her and she jumped from the window. Akane followed. Shampoo came in the door.

"Ranma, I yours!" she shouted. Ranma sighed.

"Just great." He said. SilverWolf, seeing an opening, splashed him with some of the water in her bucket, also drenching Shampoo. Now, standing there, were a red haired girl and a pink and white cat.

"Hello there!" SilverWolf said. Kuno shouted in ecstasy.

"My darling pigtailed girl, you have come back to me!" he said happily. SilverWolf sweatdropped. Ranma ran. Jasper jumped off DragonGirl’s shoulder and ran over to Shampoo, now a cat.

"Mrow?" he said, being a cat. It was loosely translated as (How you doin’?)

"Preow!" Shampoo said, meaning, (I fine, now I go!) She took off in a run with him chasing her. DragonGirl rolled her eyes.

‘Did I hear a splash of cold water?" Happosai asked. He squealed in happiness. He jumped upon the nearest girl, Nikkia, and squeezed.

"Ugh! You old lech!" She screamed, running out the door like her hair was on fire.

DragonGirl sighed. Noticing that Ranma was now a girl, the exact opposite way she wanted him, she took out her pot of water and poured it on him.

"Thank you." He said, now a boy. SilverWolf snorted, taking out her bucket once more. Kuno looked pissed.

"What did you do with the red-haired girl Ranma Saotome?" he asked. DragonGirl sidled up to him.

"Oh, no you don’t!" SilverWolf shouted, pouring the water over him.

"What did you do that for?" He/she asked. DragonGirl recoiled. Now SilverWolf sidled up.

"Pigtail girl, my love! How could I ever do without you?" Kuno shouted. DragonGirl growled.

"Take this!" she shouted pouring her water on him/her. He was a guy again.

"Where is she, Ranma?" Kuno said. DragonGirl and SilverWolf and Ranma sweatdropped. SilverWolf poured the water on him again.

"Ahhh, stop it!" Ranma-girl yelled. Shampoo ran in the door, closely pursued by Jasper. Kuno’s eyes were little hearts.

"Rowwl!" Jasper shouted. (Come back, I love you!) Shampoo jumped up to the ledge.

"Growr!" She shouted (Hot water please!) DragonGirl beckoned to her. She jumped on Ranma’s head. He/she shrieked.

"Ahh, get it off me!" He/she screamed. DragonGirl poured her water on him/her and Shampoo. When the water stopped, Ranma was standing there with Shampoo, now human on his head. He was slowly smooshed to the ground.

"Come on!" SilverWolf shouted, throwing the last of her water on Ranma. Shampoo shrieked and ran.

"Not now!" DragonGirl shouted, pouring hers on him too. When the water cleared him, he stood.

"Ahhhhhh!" DragonGirl and SilverWolf shrieked.

"What?" Ranma asked, his voice a double tone, "Ahh, what’s wrong with my voice?" he was a sight to see. Half of his hair was black streaked with red, half red streaked with black, he had one boob, one green eye, and one brown. Shampoo shrieked.

"Ranma, you scare Shampoo!" she said. Akane and Kodachi reentered. The Black Rose jumped out the window,

"I will return, my darling Ranma!" she shouted. Akane looked over at him and screamed bloody murder.

"What is it, Akane?" her father asked, coming in. He saw Ranma and fainted. Nikkia ran in, dislodging the old lech from her and stomping on him. She looked up.

"What happened to him?" She asked. SilverWolf and DragonGirl shrugged innocently. Kuno turned.

"Ranma, you can’t fool me! I know you have the red-haired girl and that pathetic disguise doesn’t fool me a bit!" he said accusingly. Ranma sweatdropped.

"Someone get some water over here!" DragonGirl yelled. The panda held up a sign in Japanese, translating loosely to (How hot?)

"Ssowr!" Jasper said. (we don’t speak or read Japanese here!) DragonGirl sighed.

"Hot!" she shouted.

"Cold!" SilverWolf said. The panda held up a sign reading (Lukewarm it is, then) He brought out a bucket and tossed it on Ranma. He stood there, or she? It was impossible to tell. His eyes were a dark green, and he had dark red hair.

"That’s almost worse!" Akane said. DragonGirl giggled.

"They love each other so, Androgynous. Closer than you know, love each other so, Androgynous!" she sang. Ranma gave her a dirty look.

"HOT!" he shouted, just before being doused with cold water. He/she sat down, "I give up!" He/she shouted. Kuno leapt with joy.

"I have come to woo you, red haired girl! Pray, what is your name?" Ranma snorted.

"I’m Ranma, you moron! Haven’t you been paying attention?" Kuno looked nonplused.

"But my dear, how strange, I know a Ranma. Oh, well, a rose by any other name will smell as sweet." The panda/Genma, finally got the water temperature right, and Ranma was a guy again.

"Ranma! Where have you put the red-haired girl with whom you never appear in the same room, and who looks suspiciously like you and always appears where you last were and seems to have the same name? Why are you always hiding her away from me?" he shouted, tears running down his face. Happosai grunted.

"You baka! That is Ranma Satomei! He fell into a spring which made him turn into a girl whenever he gets cold water on him! He is your red haired girl, duh!" Kuno looked confused, then shook his head.

"Feeding me wild stories will not get my red haired girl back! Give the poor girl to me!" Akane screamed.

"You are so thick!" she shrieked, hitting him on the head with a fan. He smiled as he went down.

"My dearest Akane, your touch numbs me." He murmured as he blacked out. All in the room sweatdropped.

"You, thanks!" Ranma said, pointing to DragonGirl. She kissed him on the cheek.

"Just doing my duty to the cursed." She said, smiling. Akane growled. SilverWolf smiled. Nikkia looked unimpressed. Shampoo made a humph sound. Kuno moaned.

"Well, we gotta go, had a blast." DragonGirl said. Happosai waved. In his hand was a bit of leopard imprinted cloth.

"Hey, those are mine!" DragonGirl shouted. SilverWolf gave her a glance, "Extras." She elaborated. They all piled into the Sylia-car.

"Thanks a lot JAKON." DragonGirl said. The computer chuckled.

"Your quite welcome, ma’am." It said. The screen flickered to life. On it was displayed her and SilverWolf fighting over Ranma, and throwing random buckets of water on him.

"You taped it!" SilverWolf asked, shocked.

"Yes, and I’m sure Winter will be happy to see this footage." JAKON said. DragonGirl gave JAKON a virtual high five.

"JAKON, do you have a physical manifestation?" Nikkia asked.

"Yes, in hologram." JAKON said. She appeared as a woman, small, clad in silver and blue tight clothes, with a long silver ponytail. She was sitting on the dash.

"Cool!" Nikkia said. SilverWolf shook her head.

"Drool." She said. DragonGirl sweatdropped. A new companion with a twisted sense of humor. Joy.

TO BE CONTINUED