As morning peeled into noon, both Akane and Ryouga slipped back into the ‘friend’ like state. Neither of them were ready to commit something like dating so soon. Ryouga rubbed his neck, and mildly realized that Kuno had bruised him when he had been choking him. Shaking his head, Ryouga remembering fighting Shampoo even earlier this morning. The day had started off shaky, but he would gladly relive both those events over for the joy he had experienced with Akane.
Now Akane was consulting Soun, her sisters, and Ukyou, who had shown up about thirty minutes ago. Ukyou had definitely been the nicest visit so far. The tough Spatula-wielding girl hadn’t tried to kill him or Akane. She’d merely mopped about, inquiring things. She and Akane had gone into Ranma’s room for a bit. Ukyou asked what happened to Genma and Nabiki covered up by saying he was off mourning for Ranma somewhere.
About ten minutes ago the two had moved into the dinning room, and now all five of them were talking. Ryouga didn’t feel like he belonged in these conversations, so he merely laid on his back, on the deck, staring at the sky. He noticed the few cirrus clouds drift away and slowly become replaced by cumulus clouds. Knowing they would bring rain and nothing more Ryouga dismissed them. He wondered where Ranma’s father had gotten to. He knew that Soun kicked him out, but where had he gone after that?
He bolted up as something occurred to him. He hadn’t seen Ranma since his fight with Shampoo. He wondered where the dead spirit had gone off to. He looked over his shoulder, half expecting to see Ranma leaning on the door frame, watching him. Ryouga swallowed, not seeing him. Not knowing what happened to him worried Ryouga. He felt a bit guilty for some reason. Had Ranma been watching Akane and him? He looked around again.
Perhaps…when he told Akane that he was no longer Ranma, the real Ranma vanished. He sighed, doubting that. Still that didn’t justify why Ranma wasn’t here anymore. He knew that he wasn’t with Akane and them. The Tendo’s place was quite large, perhaps he was just by himself somewhere. Ryouga slowly laid back down. That was it. No reason to worry.
He started again. Worry? Worry?! He was about to start worrying about Ranma? Shaking his head he looked at the sky again. No need to do that. Even in death Ranma could look after himself. Ryouga watched the clouds march across the sky, he picked funny pictures out of them, waiting for Akane to return to him. He sighed. He was dating Akane. Him, Hibiki Ryouga, dating Tendo Akane. Tears almost came to his eyes. He’d never been so happy before. He thought about marrying Akane.
She would legally become Akane Hibiki. Then this entire place would become the Tendo-Hibiki School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. He wasn’t trained in Anything Goes Martial Arts, but he figured it couldn’t be THAT hard to master.
After another few minutes, Nabiki walked by, and glanced at Ryouga sprawled on the deck. He didn’t see her, as he was lost in his own thoughts. She walked over to him, and stood right next to his head. Still he didn’t see her. She tapped her foot by his head. And still he did not see her. Then she squatted next to him, and whispered.
"Ryouga-kun?" He blinked, and his smile faltered. He eyes focused and he looked up at Nabiki.
"Aaah!" he cried. Nabiki rolled her eyes. She sat back as he sat up. "Don’t do that!"
Nabiki ignored him and launched off as to why she was there. "I saw what you did to Kuno-chan." she began. Ryouga turned to look at her quizzically. "AND I heard what the fight was over." she glanced at her nails. "I don’t want Kuno-chan to scared away from my family. He has a lot of money, and he worships Akane. You however do not have a lot of money, and you worship Akane." Nabiki paused. "I’m willingly to let you keep Akane, if you agree to help Kuno fall for me."
Ryouga perplexed, looked at Nabiki. "What do you mean?" he hesitantly asked.
Nabiki continued. "It’s obviously you are the better martial artist, so I’m asking you to fight Kuno-chan for something. Say, oh, don’t know, a rematch, winner takes Akane, looser can have me." she thought. "I don’t care, you’re a bright boy, think of something." She finished standing up. She looked over her shoulder as Ukyou, Akane, Soun, and Kasumi appeared. Nabiki turned and just walked past. Ukyou cast her eyes upon Ryouga. He in turn was looking at Akane, and Akane, Kasumi, and Soun were watching Nabiki.
"What was that about?" Ukyou asked. Everyone turned to look at Ryouga. He held his hands up innocently.
"I didn’t do anything, I swear it." Ryouga said. Ukyou turned to Akane.
"Thanks for talking with me. I’m headed to the morgue." She paused. "Not that I want to go, but…I need to." Ukyou softly said. Akane put a hand on Ukyou’s shoulder, and then the two hugged. Ryouga turned to look at the darkening sky trying to keep his attention off the two emotional girls. Kasumi silently lead Soun away. Akane and Ukyou broke their grasp. Ukyou’s eyes were moist as she turned away. Both of the girls were headed to the door.
They stopped at the exit, and Akane looked at Ukyou. "If you need anything, Ukyou, just ask. I’ll be here for you." Akane friendly stated. Ukyou nodded.
"Thanks, Akane-chan." Ukyou replied. She opened the door and silently walked away from the Tendo’s. Akane watched her leave, feeling sorry of Ukyou. Once Ukyou was out of sight Akane shut the door, and bowed her head.
Ryouga stood behind Akane, unsure of what to do or say. She slowly turned around and looked at him. He swallowed hard.
"I’m sorry to put you through this, Ryouga-kun." Akane softly said.
Ryouga smiled. "It’s alright Akane. You going through a difficult time in your life." He said. "I understand." He added. Akane meekly smiled and walked over to him. She held her arms out, and he reached for her. He held her a few moments, while she silently leans her head on his chest. Approaching footsteps made both teens release each other and turn.
Soun stood there, looking from Akane to Ryouga. "Akane, I need to talk with you alone." Soun said. Akane looked over at Ryouga he nodded in understanding.
"Hai, Otoosan." Akane said to her father. She turned and followed him. Ryouga watched the two leave and then he walked back out onto the deck.
Sitting down he glanced up at the sky again. He rubbed his neck, as it still ached a bit from when Kuno had been choking him. Kuno. Humph. He couldn’t believe he’d actually had to fight Kuno. What was more unbelievable was that Kuno had actually been a good match. He sighed and looked out at the Tendo’s pond.
He leaped to his feet when he spied Ranma sitting on one of the rocks, dangling his legs above the water. Ranma wasn’t looking at Ryouga, he was watching the wind blow ripples in the ponds surface. Hesitantly, Ryouga walked outside, and approached Ranma. Still Ranma did not look at him. Ryouga stood near the other side of the pond, looking down into the water. All he saw was the cloudy reflection of the sky, distorted by the windy wrinkles. Ryouga watched the wind blow across the water, and then he looked at the reflected sky.
"Well you got your wish, didn’t you." Ranma softly stated. Ryouga looked up at the transparent ghost. Ranma was still gazing into the water. He suddenly fell a pang of pity for Ranma. "We could have been friends, Ryouga. You and I. You know I didn’t mean to push you into that spring." Ranma paused. "its too late now though. Everything is too late. I’m dead, but you’re the only one who can see me. I wonder if I’m in Hell." He continued. Ryouga thought he should take offense to that statement, but some reason he didn’t. Finally Ranma looked up, and Ryouga could see his eyes were moist. "Why am I still here? Why can only you see me? It doesn’t make sense. This whole incident just doesn’t make sense." He added, and pulled his feet in. He stood up on the rock, and then hopped down. He looked at his hands. "Is this death? Just not existing? I think I’d rather face the wraith of Kami-sama Then to live the rest of…not my life…the rest of eternity like this. I have no point." Ranma looked at Ryouga. "No point. I can’t do anything, no one can see me, save you. If I am dead, and this is Hell, what is the point?" Ranma almost appeared as if he was going to begin crying.
Ryouga took pity, and walked to his deceased ‘friend’. "Ranma, I’m sure this will be all explained in time. Hey, tell you what…why don’t we go visit Shampoo’s Great-grandmother? I’m sure she could tell us something." Ryouga offered. Ranma’s brows drew together and he looked at the sky.
"If you tell her this they’ll probably lock you away." Ranma sighed. Ryouga shook his head.
"Nah, I’m sure that old Ghoul has seen and heard stranger things." He reached for Ranma arm, but his hand fell through the apparition, leaving his fingers tingling and numb. He sighed. "It’s worth a try Ranma. I know you’re not one to give up."
"Alright, you’ll have to lead though. I’ll get lost." He said. Ranma nodded and ran out of the Tendo’s property. Ryouga took off after him.
~~Nekohanten~~
Ryouga arrived in front of the Nekohanten, just slightly out of breath. The sky was darker now, but people still passed him going into the restaurant, leaving, and walking by. Ryouga glanced at Ranma, and then he reached out and opened the door.
Inside the restaurant was half full of people. Most were in couple or two or three. Ryouga identified Mousse behind the window, looking down at something. Shampoo appeared carrying two trays of something.
"Welcome to…" she began and paused, realizing who was at the door. "What you want?" she demanded. Ryouga uneasily looked around, and backed up slowly. He hated crowded. Ranma backed him up.
"Tell her you want to see Cologne!" Ranma coached from behind.
"Right," Ryouga breathed. He looked at Shampoo. "I came to see your great-grandmother." He stated. Shampoo’s eyebrows raised and a small water droplet slid down her head.
"This not over fight we have. Is it?" Shampoo asked. "You no did best me!" she made clear. Ranma blinked in surprise.
"This isn’t over that. Is she here?" Ryouga asked. Shampoo seemed to be relieved. She turned her head to the back room.
"Great-grandmother in there. She busy though." Shampoo said. Then she turned and handed the bowls to several customers. Ryouga turned and slowly made his way through the customers. He proceeded to ‘bump’ into a few people and knock over one glass of tea. Apologizing, he broke through the crowd, and looked up. He was standing in front of the door. He reached down and opened the door, stepping inside.
There he found himself outside the Nekohanten. "What?" he said perplexed. Ranma sighed behind him.
"You dolt. How could you get lost crossing a room?" Ranma asked.
Ryouga furiously turned around and re-entered the building.
"It was crowded." He replied to Ranma. Ranma sighed.
"Just follow me, Ryouga." Ranma said, and walked around the tables, and made it to the back door. Ryouga sighed angrily and opened the door.
Everyone else always got where they wanted to go. Why’d he always get lost?! Slowly he stepped inside.
The door lead to the kitchen and then father back into where Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne lived. Ryouga wondered where exactly Cologne was. Before asking Ranma, the kitchen door swung open, and Mousse stepped out. He glanced at Ryouga once.
"Pardon me, Cologne." He said, and then opened the door and walked into the customers side of the restaurant.
Ryouga watched him leave, his eyes wide. "He mistook ME for Cologne? Don’t those glasses do ANYTHING for him?" Ryouga wondered aloud. Before Ranma could answer a voice said:
"Mousse does not mistake a lot of things for me. You should be honored."
Ryouga looked around, and then down. Cologne stood there, curiously not hold her staff. She looked up at him. "You came to see me?" she asked. Ryouga dumbly shook his head yes.
Cologne turned and he followed her into an open room. There she offered him a place to sit. He silently kneeled upon the pillow, while Ranma leaned against the door frame, somehow not falling through.
Cologne positioned herself comfortably on one of the pillows and looked up at Ryouga. "What is it that you want?" she asked. Ryouga glanced over to Ranma. Cologne followed his gaze.
Ryouga looked back at Cologne. He decided to start. "What happens to you when you die?" he began. Cologne raised an eyebrow at him.
"If I knew that, I might not be here now." Cologne answered. Ryouga sighed.
"Listen, you’re the wisest person I know. I need you to tell me about the after life. Even if you don’t know about it." he stated. Cologne sighed.
"Who not avoid all these secrets and just tell me why you want to know this." she wearily said. "I’m a busy woman, and unless this is important, I need to get back to my job." Again Ryouga glanced at Ranma.
"Go ahead." He said. "Tell her."
Ryouga sighed. "Alright, then. You know Ranma died the night of his birthday." Ryouga began. Cologne nodded. "Well alright. I was there too. I saw him get killed. However, the next morning, I saw him standing and breathing." Cologne blinked once, listening. Ryouga hesitated and then continued. "I knew he was dead, I could see he body on the be, but he was standing next to Akane. I confronted him and it turned out only I could see him. I was talking with Ranma’s spirit." Ryouga paused, letting Cologne digest the news. "A lot happened between then and now, but I," he glanced at Ranma. "we decided that if anyone could tell us what was going on, it was you." he finished. Cologne glanced around the room.
"He is here?" she asked. Ryouga nodded, and looked over to Ranma. At that, Ranma stepped forward, and walked over to the two. Ryouga followed his movements with his eyes.
"He’s standing right next to me." Ryouga stated. Cologne looked to where Ranma stood. Then she looked to Ryouga.
"Tell me," she slowly said. "where you by any chance in your cursed form when Ranma was killed?" Ryouga slowly nodded yes. "And where you also in your cursed form when you saw Ranma’s ‘ghost’?" Cologne added. Ryouga nodded again. "Yet you still seem him as a human?" she mustered.
"Yes. Do you know why?" Ryouga asked. Cologne stood up and scratched her head.
"Was Ranma killed as a male or female?" she inquired. Ryouga thought.
"Male…no, he was a girl." He answered. Cologne nodded. "What? Do you know what’s happened?"
"If Ranma was killed as a girl, then his Jusenkyou curse was broken. He died a girl, his dead body remained a girl." Ryouga and Ranma both listened. "However his spirit that should have passed onto the next level remained in the other form. In his case, his male body.
"The Jusenkyou curses go far beyond just changing a person’s appearance. The curse binds all the springs together. When he died, his curse lifted. Since you were there in your cursed form when he died, he was bound to you. This binding is to prevent both cursed halves from passing onto the next level. Only the original form is to pass. In my son-in-laws case, however, he was killed in his cursed form, and bound to someone in a cursed form. That created a double negative, which created a single positive." Ryouga shook his head not understanding. Cologne continued. "Either way, instead of his male self passing onto the next level and his female curse vanishing. His female self passed into the next level and his male self remained bound to you." Both Ryouga and Ranma’s mouths dropped.
"You mean I gotta be bound to him forever?" Ryouga blurted.
"My FEMALE self passed on?!" Ranma cried. "You mean there is another me trapped in a GIRL’S body!?"
Cologne looked at Ryouga, not hearing Ranma’s cries. "No. There is a way to unbind the bound."
Both men leaned forward. "HOW?!" they cried.
Cologne thought. "If his bound male self were to be doused with a special water, his male and female selves would switch. Trying his female self to you, and passing his male self on. Then the curse would lift and the binding would be undone." Cologne stated.
"Where is this water?!" Ranma cried happily.
"Do you know where we could get some of this special water?" Ryouga asked excitedly.
"The water is very rare, and the only known location for it is in China." She stated. Ryouga and Ranma frowned and twin droplets slid down there heads. "However," Cologne stated. "*I* have some of this water." She added. Ryouga leapt to his feet, Ranma hot on his trail.
"Could we use it!?" Ryouga cried. Cologne ignored him, and walked to a cabinet. She returned with a flask.
She studied the flask. "I wasn’t sure if the owner of this water was telling the truth or not, but I suppose we’ll find out." She handed the flask to a giddy Ryouga. "Just pour it over his head." She stated.
Ryouga popped the cork out of the flask and looked at Ranma. Ranma looked back at him. "It’s been good knowing you, Ranma." Ryouga said. Ranma grinned.
"Thanks for helping through this. And, Ryouga…take care of Akane for me." he softly added. Ryouga remained silent.
"I will." He added. Cologne silently listened to the one sided conversation. Then Ryouga took the flask and held it upside-down over Ranma’s head.
Nothing came out.
"It’s empty!" Ryouga cried. Cologne looked at Ryouga and then to where he poured.
"No it isn’t. Only Ranma can see it, and it will only affect him." she stated. Ryouga continued to hold the flask upside down.
Suddenly Ranma appeared in female form. Her body materialized like shed been splashed with water, her head appearing and then her body. Her eyes were closed and her body rather limp.
Ryouga watched Ranma convert into his female self, and instantly became aware that his female self was not moving. He silently watched, and lowered the flask.
Once Ranma’s female body stood in whole, it began to fade. It shimmered once and then blinked out of existence. Ryouga gasped. He stood there a few minutes and listened to the pounding of his heart.
"T-t-that’s it?! H-h-he’s GONE?!" Ryouga cried. Cologne had grabbed her staff, and was now standing on it. She hopped to Ryouga and took the flask from him. They both looked at the spot Ranma had stood in.
"He has passed on." She softly said. Ryouga just stood there gapping. Somehow he had expected it to be…grandeur.
After nearly an hour, Ryouga numbly turned and left the Nekohanten. Slowly, he began the trek back to the Tendo’s.
Before long, the cloudy sky opened up and released its rain. Ryouga seemed oblivious to his transformation, and continued walking, almost dazed.
It felt so strange that Ranma was gone now. Really gone. That meant there was no chance of him returning to steal Akane back. He was happy by that, but he also felt like he was loosing his only friend. He continued on with a heavy heart.
After much walked he arrived at a building. Looking up, he saw he was standing in front of Dr. Tofu’s chiropractor building. He blinked surprised. He turned to continued as the door opened and someone stepped outside.
"Oh my. It’s raining." The person said. Ryouga looked up, and saw it was Kasumi who spoke. He squealed in surprise. Dr. Tofu stuck his head out.
"So it is." He happily agreed, fumbling with the door hinge. Kasumi reached down and lifted her umbrella, opening it.
"I brought my umbrella in case this happened." She happily said.
"Of course you can borrow it!" Tofu replied laughing. Kasumi sighed.
"I’ll see you Dr. Tofu." She said, and walked away from the building.
"Bye, Kasumi!" he giggled. Kasumi began walked, and Ryouga trotted after her, ‘bweeing’. Kasumi stopped, turned around, and spotted P-chan.
"Oh my." She said. "How did you get out here?" she questioned. Ryouga hopped a little, and Kasumi bent down, and picked him up. "Akane-chan should be happy to see you." she mused, and continued her way home.
Kasumi set P-chan down inside the Tendo home, as she shook her umbrella out, and put it away. "Akane-chan?" she called. Nabiki appeared.
"Akane’s still talking with dad." Nabiki stated. Kasumi smiled, and Ryouga sat on the floor, looking at the two sisters.
"Oh. Well, I found her pet pig on my way home from Tofu-sensei’s." Kasumi said. Nabiki glanced down.
"Great. I’m sure Akane’ll be glad to see him." Nabiki stated. Kasumi nodded in agreement, and then both girls turned and walked there separate ways.
Ryouga walked around, and slowly headed up the stairs. He really wasn’t in the mood for being a pig, he was cold, and still shaken up. Today had been a heck of a day. He climbed the stairs one at a time, heading for the bathroom. He was needed here more than P-chan.
Reaching the foot of the stairs, he trotted over to the bathroom. It was always hard doing this. Being a pig and working knobs and switches without hands wasn’t easy. He got the doors open as they were both cracked a bit. Then he climbed up the side of the tub and turned the hot water faucet on with his snout. He sat there, allowing the water to fill up. Once the tub was full enough to submerge himself in he shut the water off.
The door opened, and he looked up in surprise. An almost nude Akane looked back down at P-chan perplexed. Steam rose from the hot tub and floated about him. Akane held his gaze a moment longer, and then slowly buttoned her shirt back up unconsciously. She glanced from the hot bathtub, to P-chan and then to the tub again. P-chan held his breath, to scared to move. Akane stepped forward, and lifted her foot. She pushed and gently knocked P-chan backwards, into the tub, and held her breath.
P-chan ‘bweed’ in horror, and then hit the water with a loud splash.
