Part 3, Chapter 7: Words
Akane was exhausted. Utterly, completely, totally, and at three she ran out of synonyms or the willpower to think anymore.
Six... hours... and she’s barely winded... Akane was seriously starting to doubt her ability to get anything much from the training. Ryouga had explained, somewhat shyly, that the core of Herb’s power came from her dragon heritage. I want to become stronger, but can I compete with blood? I’m just human, after all... she sighed. It wasn’t in her nature to give up, but this was discouraging. It had already been a week...
Training with Herb was proving... different. She had been expecting to hate Herb, expecting someone with a deplorable personality, but while Herb certainly didn’t know the first thing about girls, she was, for the most part, courteous, following protocol outside of training almost too perfectly. It was easy to tell that she had been raised as royalty; the habits of nobility did not wear off or hide easily.And the training... Akane sighed. Spars... but more than that too, somehow. It was like a slow introduction to the concept of chi, and while Akane had known about it before, even used it to a very minor extent, this was different. But even without any detailed instructions she could feel it, like a bright core of energy inside herself. Not quite graspable, but there, infused into every movement she made. Her speed had improved, at least, even if chi attacks were far beyond her level.
And this had all been from watching. Just observing Herb, whose every movement was saturated with it, who extruded it like sweat even without trying. It was encouraging and depressing at the same time – she felt the power, but couldn’t grasp it. Frustrating, particularly when she was this tired.
She stumbled, suddenly, and had to catch herself on the rail. She laughed again, this time at herself. So tired, but I can’t stop thinking about fighting...
She needed to rest. That was definitely true. But first, a bath. The hot waters of the furo, and probably a short nap therein before heading to her own bed, would help the most. At least it would take the knots out of her muscles.
She reached the bathroom – checking the door, first, but there was no sign telling her that someone else was inside – and gratefully shucked out of her sweat-soaked gi, headband, and slippers into the laundry hamper as quickly as she could manage. A quick scrub-down under the shower later, she lowered herself gently into the hot water of the tub.
There we go. It was almost scalding, and therefore perfect. Kasumi must have filled it recently, and Akane sent a mental thanks to her oldest sister. The steam was a little thick, true, but that felt good in her lungs. Warm, relaxing humidity and a hot bath – and at this hour it was unlikely that anyone else would join her.
What more could a girl want?
She nestled her head into the corner of the tub and let her eyes slide closed, quickly falling asleep.
---
The drama started when Akane was peacefully asleep and Ranma invited Ryouga out for lunch. It wasn’t presented as a date, but the immediate response was wide-eyed astonishment. For a moment, Ranma was certain that he was going to be punched.Surprisingly enough, Ryouga only glanced back and forth to reassure herself that no one else was in the vicinity, and nodded in silent acceptance.
“Okay,” Ranma said, slightly confused. “Um... do you need to get ready or something?”
“We’re just going to lunch, Sao- Ranma,” she corrected herself grudgingly. “I agreed because I am hungry, and this place is... crowded.”
“Yeah,” Ranma agreed, no less confused for the explanation. “Um... let’s go, then.”
Ryouga hesitated. “But... hold on a second.” She ran off, leaving Ranma confused.
“I thought...”
“Shut up!”
---
Despite her protests, when they finally did leave, Ryouga had changed – slightly. A bandanna (or a dozen, Ranma never could tell) tied her hair back into a short ponytail, and the old shirt she had been wearing was replaced with a newer black one.
“Do you actually have money?” Ryouga asked as they started off, her voice slightly mocking but also just curious.
“Would I ask you out if I didn’t?” Ranma answered, still baffled from earlier.
Ryouga immediately went pink. “Don’t say it like that,” she whispered fiercely. “This is not a date. It’s lunch. I can pay for myself, thank-you.”
“Alright... if you’d rather, I...” but before completing his sentence, Ranma glanced about, and suddenly came to a halt a moment later. Ryouga pulled ahead a few stepped before stopping as well and turning around.
“What is it?”
“Just hold on a ‘sec.”
Ryouga waited in a state of confusion, nervously poking holes in the wall behind her back. A little under a minute later a little old lady hobbled out of a nearby gate, pail in hand. Ryouga’s eyes widened as she realized, but before she could say anything Ranma jumped directly into the stream of water that the old woman had clearly intended for the sidewalk.
“Thanks, ‘baa-san!” Ranma-chan chirped, cutting off the lady who was trying to apologize. She ran a few steps to stand next to Ryouga. “There, now it’s okay, right?”
“Huh?” Ryouga just blinked at the dripping, but now female, Ranma.
“Well, it can’t be a date if we’re both girls, right?” She said it reasonably, shaking excess water out of her hair.
Ryouga wished the bright blue eyes that were blinking up at her weren’t quite so innocent. If there was any cunning whatsoever in the expression or the words, she could be angry – as it was, she just chuckled, weakly. “Whatever, Ranma...”
“What?”
“Why are you doing this?”
“’cause I promised I would.”
“Stupid promise,” Ryouga muttered under her breath, but Ranma-chan heard and frowned, perplexed.
“Why-”
“Nevermind. Let’s just go. But it’s not a date, I’m picking the restaurant, and I’m paying.”
“Do you have the money?” Ranma asked, in the exact same tone of voice in which Ryouga had asked the same question.
“Yes,” she snapped back, defensively. “Kasumi gave me some. For... things,” she explained briefly, reddening.
“Ah. Well, than you should spend it on ‘things’ then, not food,” Ranma countered calmly, “Or at least, just pay for yourself.”
“What made you think I was going to pay for you in the first place, Saotome?” Ryouga snapped back, face still pink.
Ranma-chan grinned. “Where do you want to go?”
---
They ended up in a tiny, café-style resturaunt that was a little too close and dimly-lit for Ryouga’s taste, but it was one of the few that wasn’t overcrowded during the weekend lunch hour, and Ryouga didn’t particularly want to go somewhere too public. As it were, they stood out by being about twenty years younger than the other customers, on average. Ryouga didn’t recognize the soft music playing in the background, but it sounded at least ten years out of date.Once they’d ordered and the waiter had respectfully bowed away, Ryouga leaned heavily on the table, resting her head in her hands and looking, overall, very dejected.
“What’s the matter?”
Ryouga didn’t bother to glare, although it was tempting. “Are you doing this to embarrass me? Or it not picking on the weak...?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind...” Ryouga looked away, staring at a decorative potted plant. Some sort of fern, bright green against a darker blue wall. Trying to distract herself led to the observation that it was starting to wilt around the edges, but meanwhile she absently pulled at her napkin, shredding it quickly.
“If you don’t like this place we can go somewhere else,” Ranma suggested, attempting to correct a situation that didn’t seem to be quite satisfactory.
“It’s not that.” Ryouga suddenly looked back at Ranma, eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “I am not in love you with you.”
Ranma looked surprised. “Huh?”
Ryouga settled back, mostly satisfied with that. She glanced at the menu. “And this is not a date.”
Now it was Ranma’s turn to look mildly disgruntled. She also looked confused, as if not sure why. “What do you want, then?”
Ryouga looked surprised. “I don’t know.”
“Then-”
“But I don’t want this,” Ryouga went on, quietly. “I don’t want you feeling sorry for me. I’m not weak.”
“I never said you were-”
“Then why are you-”
“Because you’re my friend!” Ranma interrupted, exasperated. “Because... do I really need a reason?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“You ruined my life!” Ryouga shouted. “Never took me seriously, teased me at every opportunity, made me look like an idiot in front of Akane...”
“You slept in her bed. What did you want me to do?”
Ryouga reddened, and scowled. “That was-”
“Different?”
Ryouga narrowed her eyes at him rather than answering.
“Do you like me like you used to like Akane, or is that different too?”
“I loved Akane!” Ryouga insisted. “I do not love you. Like... yes, and I have no idea why, other than I’ve gone insane.”
“Loved? Not love?” Ranma pressed. Ryouga paled.
“I... I don’t know.”
Ranma shrugged. “Okay.”
“I wish I knew what you wanted,” Ryouga muttered, quietly enough so that Ranma couldn’t quite hear.
“What?”
Ryouga opened her mouth as if to answer her – whether with the truth or with a lie even she wasn’t certain - but was rather suddenly interrupted by a shout from the other side of the restaurant.
“Ranma!” It was a familiar voice, but Ryouga couldn’t quite place it.
Ranma obviously did, however. “Hey!” the redhead called back over Ryouga’s shoulder. “What are you doing here?”
Ryouga heard footsteps, and when the voice spoke again it was closer and even more agonizingly familiar. Ryouga paled.
“Just taking a break. Nice day, I thought...”
Ryouga fell backwards in her chair when a familiar head full of long brown hair leaned over her, then twisted around to regard her critically. “Who’s this, Ranchan?” Ukyou asked, catching Ryouga’s chair before it fell entirely to the ground.
Ryouga slipped out of the chair, falling to the floor on her hands and knees before shoving herself up. It took a few tries, but after a moment she finally managed to bring herself to her feet. She had to lean against the wall, and sidled away as fast as she could manage.
“That’s just Ryou...” Ranma started, but she was interrupted by the crash of Ryouga’s chair shattering under the force of a nervous kick from its previous occupant.
“Who? She looks familiar.” Ukyou narrowed her eyes, determined to figure out the mystery of the girl who was leaning up against the wall, sweating profusely and looking scared for her life, all the while moving back and forth as if she couldn’t figure out which way to go.
“I’m nobody!” Ryouga squeaked out, finally managing to scramble away.
Ukyou followed, still wondering what was the matter. “Hey, what’s the matter?” her eyes suddenly widened as if an idea had struck her, and she reached back to touch the giant spatula strapped to her back. “Is it...”
Ryouga fainted.
“What’s the matter? Did I scare her...? Sorry...” She reached down, grabbing Ryouga by the armpits to drag her back to the table. Once they had gotten two more chairs and put the unconscious girl in one, Ukyou settled in the other and sipped a cup of water the poor frazzled waiter had given her. “So who is she?” Ukyou asked again, a little more insistently this time.
“You know, I’m not sure...” Ranma shook her head.
---
Ryouga groaned. Nightmare. This has to be a nightmare. First... Ranma, now... worse...
“Hey! Sleeping beauty!”
Ryouga squeezed her eyes closed even more tightly. Wake up! Wake up, damn you Ryouga!
“Hey, honey... are you okay?” The voice was worried now. That was almost worse.
Ryouga cracked open her eyes and looked around blearily until she found Ranma. Wearily she sat up, and said in a voice of total seriousness, “Punch me.”
“What!” Ranma and Ukyou exclaimed at the same time.
“Punch me!”
“Well, if you say so...” Ranma answered uncertainly, lifting her fist.
“Ranma!” Ukyou shouted, scandalized. “Hitting a girl! What’s wrong with you!” She grabbed Ranma’s hand and forced it back unto the table.
“Argh!” Ryouga exclaimed. I’m dreaming! I’m dreaming! Wake up, you stupid... Without any warning, Ryouga lifted her head and smashed it against the table, which shattered into splinters. “That... hurt... a little... I’m awake?” she mumbled, blinking repeatedly.
“What are you doin’, Ryou-”
In one fluid motion, Ryouga reached to the back of her head, pulled off a bandanna, and threw it at Ranma, where it stuck itself to her mouth tenaciously. “Shut up!” she yelled at him, sitting up in her chair. She started to lean on the table and almost lost her balance before remembering that it was demolished.
Ukyou laughed. “Ryo, you’re a funny girl. Now, I would like an explanation. You’re not... engaged to Ranchan or anything, are you?” Her eyes went dark.
“No, no!” Ryouga furiously denied, waving her hands frantically.
Ranma tried to say something just as urgently, but since her attempts to pry off the bandanna had failed, her voice was completely incoherent.
“Well, I’m glad for that,” Ukyou said, all traces of hostility vanishing off of her face like they had never been there.
Ranma continued to speak, her voice louder and louder and higher and higher but still completely unintelligible underneath the bandanna.
“Shut up!” Ryouga yelled, but Ukyou just gave the mute girl a sympathetic look.
“Fine...” the pink-haired girl who wasn’t mumbled, resignedly. She reached over and pulled Ranma towards her. “Tell her,” she hissed at the indignant redhead, “And next time it’s aimed for your neck.” And with that threat made, she ripped the bandanna off Ranma’s mouth, as painfully as she could manage.
“Ow!” Ranma protested, although she didn’t actually seem to be hurt. “Wha’d ya do that for, Ryou-” She caught Ukyou’s curious eyes, and Ryouga’s furious expression, and swallowed the rest of the name. Ryouga let her go, and she slumped back into her seat sullenly.
Ukyou smiled, satisfied. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Ryo.”
“Nice to... um... meet you too...” Ryouga mumbled, twisting her hands around in her lap and looking at Ranma for some help. That was unlikely to be offered, however.
“You know, Ryo – is that your name? You look really familiar. Have I met you anywhere? What are you doing here? How do you know Ranma?”
Ryouga scrambled frantically for answers. “I’m, um, visiting from out of town! Staying with the Tendos. Um. Just for a little while.”
“Oh.” Ukyou thought for a moment. “You do look familiar, though. Are you family?”
“Um... no, not really...”
“Will you give it up, already!” Ranma hissed at Ryouga. “Just tell her!”
Ukyou overheard. “Tell me what?”
Ranma grabbed Ryoua by the collar and yanked her closer. “What is wrong with you?” Ranma hissed, lowly enough to avoid being understood by Ukyou.
“You idiot!” Ryouga whispered back. “If she thinks that this is a date, she’ll kill both of us! Do you really want to die?!”
“It’s not that bad-”
“Yes it is! That girl’s jealous of anyone who speaks to you! And if she finds out who I am...” Ryouga shuddered. “I really will die.”
“You’re exagg...”
“Ryo... hmm, I’m never heard of that as a girl’s name...” Ukyou observed idly, more or less talking to herself as the other two ‘girls’ were talking privately.
Ranma cut off.
Ever so slowly, Ryouga turned to face the chef. “Um...”
“You haven’t been to China recently, have you?” she asked them suddenly, noticing that she had their attention back.
Ryouga paled and started to slump. She would have fallen out of her chair, probably, if Ranma hadn’t grabbed her collar to hold her up.
“You’re gonna deal with this!” she hissed at her captive.
“Leave off, Ranma!”
“No!” Ranma smiled at Ukyou. “Actually, it’s funny you ask that...”
“Yes!” Ryouga shouted, finally twisting free of Ranma’s grip. She glared death at Ranma, but kept speaking, mostly to keep her quiet. “I’ve been to China. Jusenkyou, too, so...”
“Oh, I just knew it!” Ukyou exclaimed. “Somehow, everyone who’s ever been there finds their way here... so,” she went on interestedly, “what do you turn into?”
Ranma and Ryouga, quarrel forgotten, stared at her with identical blank expressions. After a moment, Ryouga fell off her chair.
“What’s the matter?” She asked, looking back and forth between the two of them, not understanding.
---
Fifteen minutes later they had a new table, food, and Ukyou’s eyes were wide with shock. The story had been told – it was just easier that way. A very brief and slightly edited version of the story, true, but despite her bouts of depression Ryouga really didn’t have a death wish.“I... I’m sorry, Ryouga...”
Ryouga winced at the pity in her voice. “It’s alright, Ukyou. We’re... that is, Cologne is helping us fix the kettle, so hopefully this will be over, soon...” She glanced towards Ranma, almost desperate for some assistance in explaining, but the pig-tailed boy was slightly preoccupied with cooling himself off after getting doused with near-boiling water to change him back to normal. Ryouga smacked his face into the table in irritation.
“Hey!” Ranma protested, retaliating by a smack to the back of Ryouga’s head.
Ryouga lifted up her fists, but a look from Ukyou made her stop, at least for a moment.
“Why are you two fighting?” Ukyou demanded. “If anyone deserves a good beating, it’s this Herb...”
Ranma and Ryouga exchanged a glance. “That’s not a good idea, not right now,” Ryouga admitted slowly.
“I know, I know!” Ukyou grumbled, pulling out one of her throwing spatulas and toying with it angrily. “But it just makes me-”
“It makes me mad too, you know,” Ryouga said, almost amusedly.
Ukyou looked briefly contrite before relaxing. “Yeah... sorry. So Cologne’s helping you? I wonder why. That’s not like her...”
Ranma shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe she’s being nice?” It was, however, a statement that earned him two glares that told him that he was, without a doubt, an idiot.
“Moron.” Ryouga succinctly summed up her opinion of that possibility.
Ukyou nodded in agreement. “Her? Not a chance. Did she ask you to marry Shampoo for it? Date her?”
“No...” Ranma finally looked slightly troubled. “None of that. I wonder why...”
Ryouga sat up in her chair suddenly, eyes going wide. It couldn’t be... how could she know?!
Ranma noticed her sudden distress. “What’s wrong, Ryouga?”
“Um... nothing... just remembered... um... nothing.”
“What?” Ranma shook his head, and went on. “She wants the kettle, she said. Her tribe has all sorts of weird magical artifacts; this is just another one to add to the heap, I guess.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Ryouga agreed, looking away as though distracted.
“Um...”
Ryouga stood, so suddenly that her chopsticks went flying. “I’ve got to use the... the bathroom.”
Then she was gone.
Ukyou blinked. “What was that?”
---
Ryouga emerged from the men’s bathroom a few minutes later. Despite being stuck as a female for months now, she couldn’t bring herself to enter the girl’s room except when she had to. It earned her some curious stares and the occasional baffled goggle, but it was better than the alternative. By the time she got back to the table, Ukyou was gone.“She had to go back to work she said.” Ranma explained, “and you were in there an awfully long time.”
“Sorry.”
Ranma snorted. “Right. Mind telling me what that was all about?”
“How about we go to the park, instead?”
---
It was because Ranma had paid for her lunch before she could protest, Ryouga told herself firmly. But the soft wave of happiness that swept through her as she looked down onto the small cone of soft-serve chocolate she had bought herself was still unmistakable, and embarrassing.Ranma was already half-done with his own strawberry. Slowly, Ryouga began on her own, wishing it didn’t taste quite so good.
Ranma glanced at her. “You seem happy.”
“Maybe I am, then.”
“Why?” Ranma’s voice was honestly curious.
“I don’t know. Good ice cream. It’s a nice day. I don’t have to worry about getting lost, and...” I’m on a date. And maybe if I am insane, it’s okay...
Ranma looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. “I guess it is pretty nice. Never thought that bein’ with me would make you happy, though.”
“Why you-” Ryouga cut herself off, blushing furiously. “I didn’t say that.”
“What?”
“Do you really want to fight?” Ranma looked surprised. “Just because I like you doesn’t mean I don’t want to kick your ass, Saotome,” she said smugly.
“Your ice cream would be ruined.”
Ryouga looked down hastily. Sure enough, the cone had started to melt in earnest. Ryouga quickly licked up the worst of it. Halfway through she realized the trick, and froze, looking slowly up at Ranma. “You bastard.”
Ranma laughed. “You know, you’re...” he stopped, looking utterly baffled.
“I’m what?” Ryouga demanded angrily.
“If I said you were cute,” Ranma said slowly, “Not that I’m sayin’ you are – what would you do?”
“If you said-” Ryouga blinked. “What?!”
Ranma coughed, looking away. “Just asking.”
“If you... said... if you said that I was cute,” Ryouga managed to get out, her voice smoothing after a while, “I would have to kill you.”
Ranma nodded. “Yup, that’s what I thought. What is it with people who like me and the tendency towards insane violence?”
Ryouga’s shoulder shook like her arm, completely on it’s own, wanted to punch him. And while the rest of Ryouga agreed, with some effort she forced it to stop. Words were better. “We develop it as a necessity, Ran...chan, to deal with you and your stupidity.”
For a moment Ranma stared at her in blank astonishment. Then he laughed, as pink ice cream dripped down his fingers. “You know,” he said disbelievingly, “I think you are cute.”
To be honest, he had been warned. So Ranma had no one to blame but himself when he found himself taking off through the trees of the park to a somewhat rough landing on a road beyond the edge of it – hundreds of feet away.
Ryouga got there a moment later. “Who’s what now?” she asked, angrily.
Ranma sat up, inspecting his knee that had caught the brunt of an abrupt landing. “You’re cute, I said.” Determining that his leg was fine, he jumped to his feet and smiled at the astonished Ryouga. “Always have been.”
Ryouga stumbled back a few steps and sat down on the curb, so heavily it was mostly a fall. “What...” she whispered to herself, eyes still wide.
Ranma sat down next to her. “The curse is weird, isn’t it...” he said conversationally. “My girl form looks almost identical to this body. Now, if you looked the same, I could say it was a coincidence; but you don’t. You’re taller, your hair’s a different color, and you still look pretty much the same as you did before – just female, that’s all. So, since I look at you now and think you’re cute, then you must’ve been cute as a guy. I just didn’t, y’know, look then.” He thought for a moment. “Funny, I didn’t look even with you as a girl until just now.”
“Oh.” Ryouga said it in a very small voice. “Okay.”
They sat in silence for a long moment.
“Your ice cream is melting,” Ranma remarked after a few minutes. He had lost his own in the brief flight.
Ryouga stared at it for a moment, then stood slowly, walked to a nearby garbage can, and threw it out, shaking her hands clean as best she could. Then she sat back down on the sidewalk, facing Ranma this time.
“This is weird enough without you saying things like that,” she said slowly.
“What?”
“That I was cute as a guy, too.”
Ranma shrugged, leaning back. “If I say you’re cute now, I don’t have a choice, do I? It doesn’t really matter, I should know that if anyone does. Your hair’s pink now-” The observation made Ryouga fiddle with it nervously – “and some organs moved around. I’m not sayin’ that you shouldn’t get a cure. Bein’ stuck in the wrong body is just... not right. But you’re still Ryouga, you couldn’t hide that if you tried. Not from me, and not from anyone else who knows you.”
“I’m a guy, and you don’t find it weird that I said I like you?” Ryouga demanded. “I don’t know... I don’t know what it really is, I can’t think straight – it’s gotta be this body, messing with my brain. Don’t you think that? It’s gotta be...” she trailed off, voice dwindling away.
“Hm?” Ranma looked confused. “It might be the body. Or...” he hesitated. “Maybe you don’t hate me as much as you say you do.”
“Oh no. I hate you.” Ryouga said flatly.
“Oh, good. I was worried something was wrong,” Ranma answered, grinning in a way that generally pissed Ryouga off beyond all hope of reason. This time, however, the only reaction was a slight narrowing of eyes.
“I'm recovered enough to make you regret saying much more, Saotome."
---
Akane woke slowly. She could feel the benefit of her training, now, as more than just a heavy ache; it was there in her muscles as she stepped out of the furo, dried, and slipped into her bathrobe. I’m going with Ranma next time, she resolved, combing out her wet hair with one hand. No matter how he says I shouldn’t.
She stepped out of the bathroom and got all of two steps down the hallway before bumping headlong into an equally distracted Ryouga, who had been staring at the ground, deep in thought. Akane scrambled to recover and re-tighten the bathrobe around herself. It hadn’t opened enough for anything to be visible, but Ryouga was staring at her, face bright pink, and she responded instinctually.
“What are you...!” she trailed off her outraged exclamation as Ryouga stumbled back, lowering her head in apology.
“I’m sorry, Akane-san,” the pink-haired girl mumbled, shuffling to one side to let Akane pass.
“It’s... it’s okay, Ryouga,” Akane responded, confused. “I should’ve been looking where I was going.”
Ryouga looked up at her, relieved. “Oh... okay then.” And she was gone, down the steps and around the corner.
Akane watched her go for a moment, wondering what had been strange about that encounter. True, it was kind of weird just having Ryouga around for so long a period of time, but other than a sort of lingering depression he – she – was as normal as could be expected. She was getting along with Ranma slightly better than normal, even if their sniping was not much lessened in frequency. Around Akane she was as shy as ever, although getting slightly better – she wasn’t blushing for no apparent reason, and her stuttering had diminished.
Akane smiled, softly. I hope we can get him cured. She had reached her room by this point and dressed automatically, still smiling and not quite aware of it.
***
~Mordain
Back to The Nest