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  Ranma 1/2     "The Nature of the Curse"
 Hard Battle    Story by Douglas MacDougall
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    Originally posted 6 Dec 1998, and last modified 6 Jan 1999.
    The latest parts and revisions of this story are available at:
    http://www.dougmacd.net/fanworks/
    
    Ranma 1/2 (c) Rumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan * Kitty Film * Fuji TV.
    Exclusively licensed throughout the United States and Canada by Viz
    Communications, Inc.  This fan fiction is for private home use only;
    it may be freely redistributed, but not altered or used for profit.

    Not Rated.  Parental Guidance Suggested.

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   Part  2      I Knew You Were A Tomboy, But...
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    Joy filled the hearts of every student; the school day was over.

    "Alright!"  Ranma flipped out of his chair and landed next to Akane.  
"Let's get out of this dump!"  

    The remaining students only took a few seconds longer to get out of their 
own seats and make their way out of the room.  The teacher muttered something 
about a test the next day, but the teenagers studiously ignored him. 

    Even after most of the other students had left, Akane had only just 
started to put her supplies into her book bag.  When Ranma started pacing, 
she asked, "Have you seen that new guy around school?"

    Ranma scratched his head.  "What new guy?"
    
    Akane stared at him.  "The guy that splashed me this morning!"
    
    Much to her dismay, his face was still a blank for a few moments.  And 
then he laughed.  "Oh, yeah.  That was great!"
    
    "Excuse me?  I had to sit in class dripping wet!"
    
    "Aw, heck, I have to do that all the time, Akane.  At least you don't 
have to find hot water.  Hell, even if I get hot water AND a towel, it still 
takes at least half an hour for my clothes to dry off."

    "Well, I still didn't like it."

    Ranma grinned, "Hey, live a day in my shoes.  You'll get used to it."

    Akane seriously doubted that.  And only an idiot would want to live a day 
in HIS shoes.  She finished packing up her stuff, and slung her bag over her 
shoulder.  Ranma was fairly disgusted that they were the last students out of
the classroom.

    When they entered the flowing mass of students in the hallways, Ranma was 
practically bouncing at Akane's heels.  Given the choice, she was sure he
would leap out a window to get out of the building. 

    At the top of the stairwell, Akane picked out a face below that could help 
her.  "Nabiki!"  She waved her arm.

    The girl in question looked up from a flight below and stopped.  The
other students going down the stairs flowed around her while she waited for 
the pair to catch up.  "What can I do for you, sis?"

    "Do you know where I can find that new guy?"

    Nabiki smiled guilelessly.  "Could you be a little more specific?"

    Akane rolled her eyes.  As if Nabiki were ever guileless.  "The one who 
dumped a bucket of water on me this morning?"

    "Oh!  THAT new guy.  Looking for some more water sports?"

    "Nabiki..."

    "Next time give me some warning so I can bring my camera.  Wet T-shirt 
photos can bring in the big bucks!"  She rubbed her thumb and fingers together
and winked.

    Ever the idiot, Ranma took his cue.  "Who'd want photos of her, anyway?  
Now MY girl-side, on the other hand--"

    Nabiki patted Ranma on the shoulder and spoke in a soothing voice, "Don't 
get jealous, Ranma.  You can join in the fun too; you only had to ask."

    "Wh- What?"  His pigtail stuck straight up.
    
    "Just bring that white shirt of yours."  Nabiki looked thoughtful for a 
moment,  "I don't suppose I have to remind you not to wear a bra...?"

    Ranma and Akane yelled in stereo, "Nabiki!"
    
    She stuck out her tongue.  "Geez, you guys are no fun."
    
    Akane shook her head.  Nabiki was in one of her... enthusiastic moods at
the moment, and was not likely to be of any help.  At least, not without 
having to undergo ten different types of embarrassment, first.  "Just never 
mind, Nabiki.  I'll see you when we get home."

    They finally reached the bottom of the stairs, where Ranma and Akane 
headed straight out, and left behind Nabiki, who went off to find other 
sources of amusement.

    Akane walked outside slowly, idly aware of Ranma bouncing at her heels.
Watching the rest of the people leave, she was hoping to catch sight of the 
new kid, but she couldn't see him.  His height should have made his stick out 
as much as Kuno.   Well, she'd most likely see him in the morning, anyway. 

    "Why'dya want to see this guy, anyway?"  asked Ranma.

    Akane glanced over at her fiance, "I just wanted to apologize to him."  
Ranma looked confused.  "For punting him into the pool," she clarified.

    "So?"

    "So, he didn't deserve it.  He's worried about a friend of his, and there
was a misunderstanding."

    Ranma was about to make a remark about how she never apologized to HIM
for all the misunderstandings they had, when a regal voice projected through 
the crowds.

    "SAOTOME!"

    Ranma frowned, and turned around to face the owner of the voice.  "What
do you want, Kuno?"

    The upperclassman swallowed up the distance between the two of them with 
purposeful, long strides.  Nearby students quickly retreated.  At a few paces 
from Ranma, he drew his bokken and pointed it directly at his chest.  "I can 
not allow you to return with the fair maiden Akane."

    "Whatever."  He waved his hand dismissively.

    "Were it not been for my timely intervention at that depraved ceremony, 
Akane might have found herself bound to you and your unspeakable ways, much 
as you have ensorcelled the pig-tailed girl!  In the past you have kept your 
distance from my beloveds for fear of my swift retaliation, but now I fear 
that, having come so close to your insidious goals, you can no longer restrain 
your unholy desires."  Kuno held a hand to his down turned face, as if to hold 
back tears.

    "Uh..."

    Suddenly he brought his bokken into a ready position.  "Thus, I shall 
keep you from her forever more!"

    "What me and Akane do ain't none of your business, Kuno!"  He glanced 
back at Akane, who seemed a bit surprised at his words, but she didn't say
anything. 

    "As always, my righteous spirit and pure love shall conquer all."

    "Geez, man, you never--"  Ranma was cut off as Kuno began an all-out 
series of rapid thrusts against him, forcing Ranma to put his energy into 
dodging.  And so they were quickly into a fight.  

    Akane decided to sit down, as they were likely to be at it for a while.  
Ranma was a lot better then Kuno, but Kuno was too stupid to realize when he 
was beaten.  No doubt Ranma's repeated blows to Kuno's head also helped inure 
him to the pain.  

    Ranma started by bouncing off of walls and trees to try to angle towards 
Kuno's back, the only direction from which Kuno couldn't defend himself with 
his sword.  He leapt about, while Kuno swiveled to block and chased to attack.
As they maneuvered, the pair led a wandering path around the school yard and 
through the onlookers.

    That's when Akane noticed a fair-haired head sticking out above the crowd. 
He was standing together with Hiroshi and Daisuke, who were watching the fight 
as it went by.  Akane got up and started walking towards Ranma's Fan Club, 
thinking about what she was going to say.  As she got closer, she could pick 
up their conversation. 

    "Thanks again for finding my bag, Hiroshi."

    "Yeah, no problem, Akira."  At last Akane had a name to go with the face.  
"I was kinda surprised that you left it there this morning.  I tried to give 
it back to you during lunch, but I couldn't find you."

    "I was... uh... occupied."

    "Mmm.  Well, now that you have your books, maybe you could help us out
with some math homework?  Me and Daisuke had this problem with--"

    "Hello!"  Akane gave her most Kasumi-like smile as the group of three 
turned around to look at her.  Hiroshi started blinking, and Daisuke frowned.  
"Um, could I speak to... ah... Akira, right?"

    Akira looked nervous.  "Ah..."

    "Crap, they went around the corner!"  Hiroshi turned back to face the 
fight just as the combatants had run out of sight.  Daisuke turned back to 
look as well, and Akane took the opportunity to drag Akira away from them.  

    Seeing their "tutor" pulled away by the most violent girl on campus, they 
decided to cut their losses and ran around the building to keep an eye on the 
fight.

    After Akane had pulled Akira away, she took a deep breath.  "I'm sorry for 
knocking you into the pool this morning.  I thought you were just being a 
pervert, but I guess you were just trying to help your friend."
    
    Akira didn't say anything.  He just stood there fiddling with his hands 
behind his back.  
    
    Akane wasn't sure what to do; apologizing wasn't exactly her strong point.  
"There are a lot of perverts around here, and when you splashed me and asked 
why I wasn't 'changing', I thought you expected me to strip out of my clothes.  
I, uh, didn't know you were referring to a Jusenkyo curse."

    He still didn't say anything.  In the distance, there was a crashing 
noise and the sound of spraying water.  No doubt another artificial fountain 
had formed behind the school.  Akane could hear Kuno and Ranma (still a boy) 
shouting from the same direction.

    Well that didn't work very well.  Akane decided to cut her loses and just
give up.  If the boy didn't want an apology...  "Well...   I just wanted to 
say I'm sorry.  I hope your friend is okay.  Oh, and don't worry about your 
him turning into a girl for real.  The curse shouldn't affect his mind."

    The boy suddenly stopped fidgeting and blurted, "I'm sorry.  I accept 
your apology."  He bowed.  "It's just hard to believe you're not really Rei.  
But of course, you didn't shift back with the hot water I splashed on you, 
so you must be the original Akane, correct?"  He laughed nervously, and held 
out his hand; the other one was still behind his back.  "Friends?"

    Akane breathed a sigh of relief and took his outstretched hand.  "Sure, 
I--"

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    Ranma was not a happy man.  This despite the fact that he WAS a man, 
which should have made him happy, in and of itself.  It was no mean feat 
dodging the fountain Kuno had created underneath him with his bokken (stupid 
air pressure), but he hadn't managed to knock the upperclassman out yet.

    Oh, sure, he could have dropped him with a Moko Takabisha, but that was 
way overkill.  And Kuno was so enraged that using a Hiryu Shoten Ha on him 
would have sucked all the gawkers in the school yard into the resulting 
whirlwind.  So it was back to a good old fashioned beating.

    Only the idiot wouldn't stay down.  Ranma thought he had won the fight at
least three times already, when the jerk would say "I fight on!" and try to 
whack him on the head.  He'd tried taking and smashing his stick, but he'd
just pull out another one.  He had an endless supply of them!

    Ranma drew the line at ripping off Kuno's hakama to figure out where he 
was hiding the damned things.

    In short, beating up Kuno was beginning to lose its cathartic value.  He
just wanted to end this quickly and painlessly.  All he needed was one clean 
shot, but Kuno's speed training under Happosai, combined with the natural 
reach and leverage advantages of the bokken made it nearly impossible.

    And so, with great distaste, he did one thing that he knew would give 
him and opening.  He leapt through the fountain and landed in front Kuno.  
The now-female Ranma put on her best smile, made dewy eyes, and used her 
most girly voice, "Oh, Kuno, darling!"  She waved daintily.

    "Pig-tailed girl!!!"  He moved to embrace her, and with his arms wide
open, she gave him an uppercut to the jaw, which finally put him down.  

    "I... would... date..."  He finally slipped into the bliss of slumber, to 
dream of his beloveds.

    "Stupid jerk."  Ranma flicked strands of wet hair out of her eyes.

    A cheer went up from the crowd that had been watching.

    Daisuke asked, "Hey, what took you so long to beat him up?"

    "I, uh, was just giving you guys a good show," she laughed nervously.

    "You're the best, Ranma!" yelled Hiroshi.
    
    Ranma waved to her fans and started back to where she had left Akane.  She 
was mildly disappointed that the tomboy hadn't watched her fight, but Akane'd 
seen her fight hundreds of time before, anyway. 

    With these thoughts in her mind, Ranma heard shouts of a vaguely familiar 
voice yelling in the distance.  In accented Japanese, a boy yelled, "Now I
have you!  You didn't really think I was going to fall for that story, did 
you, Rei?  Let's just end this charade.  Face me like a man!"
    
    Squinting her eyes, Ranma could see Akane leaning away from a taller boy. 
The only thing keeping her there was his firm grip on her hand.  Akane yelled, 
"I am NOT a--  Kyaa!"  

    The new student had pulled something out if his bag, and swung it at 
Akane.  Although she was too far away, Ranma still though she could hear the 
sound of Akane's uniform ripping.  The imagined sound filled her senses.  All 
she could hear was the tearing.  See the rips on Akane's sleeves.  Visions of 
a pervert stripping Akane filled her mind.  

    Somebody was gonna die.

    "Yuh... you... You're not...  Aiya!"  The perv let go of Akane's wrist, 
and backed off.  His eyes nearly fell out of his head, and a thermos fell out 
of his hand, landing next to his bookbag.

    "DIE!!!"  Akane kicked the guy higher then Ranma had ever seen her kick 
anyone before.  Heck, the distance he was traveling, he might even end up in 
the canal.

    A split second later, Ranma had closed the distance between her and 
Akane.  "Are you all alright?!?  Did he do... anything... to..."

    "Twice in one day!  What is WRONG with him?!?"  Waving her arms to shake 
the water off, and sweeping back her hair, Akane felt like breaking something.  
But for once Ranma was not a suitable target.  It looked like the redhead 
had actually been coming to help her, rather then insult her.  

    Which made Akane wonder why she was sitting on the ground trying to shake 
the contents of a now-empty thermos over her head.  "He dumped it all on me, 
Ranma.  Ahem."  Akane cleared her throat.  Something sounded wrong with her 
voice.

    Forlornly, Ranma looked up at Akane.  "That's what I was afraid of."

    Akane figured out what Ranma meant about the same time she figured out 
why her voice sounded so deep.  And why her clothes, now several sizes too 
small, had ripped.

    He screamed.

    "Why can't I ever get the Nannichaun?" lamented Ranma.

    Akane's left eye twitched as he looked down at the small girl.

        *           *           *           *           *           *

    The sounds of a chase were getting closer to the house.  Kasumi opened 
the front gate to see beautiful, healthy young girl with red hair running 
straight towards her.  

    "Heeeeellllp!"

     She was being chased by a handsome, healthy young man that looked as if 
he wanted to kill her.  Kasumi frowned.  And the dress he was wearing did not 
fit him at all. 

    "DIE, RANMA!"

    Kasumi squinted her eyes a bit, but could not recognize the boy.  Perhaps 
Ranma was bringing home a new friend?  She smiled and walked back into the 
house to prepare some snacks for her guests.

    "I said I'm sorry, okay?!?"

    "You JERK!  I get turned into a boy and all you can think of is your
stupid cure!?!  Come back here and take your beating like a man!!"

    Normally this would have upset Ranma, but she was a tad bit more worried
about what the already stupidly-strong Akane was going to do to her with that 
burly new body of his.  She had been hoping to outrun Akane, but his new body 
was taller then Ranma's, and had much longer legs then the ones she was 
currently sporting.  

    Ranma slipped inside the front gate and hastily closed and blocked the 
doors, hoping it would hold off Akane for a while.  She ran into the house, 
kicking off her slippers as she ran, and slid into the kitchen.  "Quickly 
Kasumi!  I need hot water!"

    "I'm sorry, Ranma.  The gas went out a few minutes ago.  I heard on the 
radio that there was some sort of accident near the school, and the gas lines 
were broken.  The water heater and stove won't work..."

    And they hadn't repaired the microwave after Akane's egg hard-boiling 
attempt.  "Shit!"

    "Would you like a cookie, instead?"

    Boy-type Akane had some minor problems scrambling over the outer wall, 
but was still just a few seconds behind Ranma.  He decided to add a few more
seconds by running upstairs and grabbing his shinai.  Experimentally banging 
the bamboo sword against the floor and hearing a satisfyingly loud crack, he 
went downstairs and stomped into the kitchen.

    "RANMA!!!"

    The two girls in the kitchen turned to face her.  Kasumi tilted her head.
"You must be one of Ranma's friends."  She smiled.  "Would you like a cookie?  
I'm afraid we don't have any tea..."

    Akane blinked.  "Kasumi?  It's me, Akane."

    "What?  Don't be silly; Akane is a..."  Kasumi looked more carefully at 
the school dress that was hanging off all the wrong places on the young man.  
It DID appear to be Akane's Furinkan uniform.  She must have--

    Ranma dashed to catch the plate of cookies that fell out of Kasumi's 
hands, grabbing one in her mouth.  

    "Kasumi?"  Akane asked worriedly.  His older sister appeared to be 
staring through him.

    "Oh!  Oh, my.  That was clumsy of me."  She laughed nervously, and took 
the plate back from Ranma.  "You'd better get out of your uniform, Akane.  
I'll mend it for tomorrow.  Just put it on your bed." 

    "I guess...  Say, can I have some--"

    "There's no hot water," interrupted Ranma. 

    Akane glared at her.  "If I don't have any hot water, what am I going to 
change into?  None of my clothes will fit!"

    Kasumi provided a helpful solution.  "You could always wear some of 
Ranma's clothes."

    Ranma's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

    "No WAY!"  Akane glared at Ranma with renewed intensity.  "That's 
probably just what the pervert wants!"

    "ExCUSE me?!?"

    "Besides," he added with a smirk, "His clothes wouldn't fit me anyway.
I'm much too tall, and my shoulders are too broad."

    Ranma scowled at the remark, "You know, Akane, when I said you needed a 
bigger chest, I MEANT--"

    Akane started beating Ranma with his shinai.  "You!!"

    "Now, now Akane, it isn't proper for boys to hit girls."

    "Yeah!" added Ranma, protecting her head.

    "I am NOT a boy!!!"

    Soun popped his head into the hallway.  "Hey, now, what's the fuss about?" 
He glanced at Akane.  "Just who are you, young man, and why are you beating on 
my daughter's fiance?"

    "Da-ad!"  The young man sounded scandalized.

    Soun blinked.  He was rather sure he didn't have any sons.  "Wait.  The
master didn't put you up to this, did he?  Did a shriveled little gnome claim 
to be your father?"  Soun leaned over holding his hand about two feet off the 
ground, demonstrating the master's height.

    "Who are you calling a shriveled up gnome?!?"  Happosai landed on Soun's
head and smacked his face with a smoking pipe.  

    Wary not to upset his master, Soun chose his words carefully.  "You must 
admit, Master, that this wouldn't be the first time you've pretended to be 
me..."

    "Ah, yes," reminisced Happosai.  "The fair Natsume and Kurumi.  Why, I 
only wanted to bring some small measure of hope into the hearts of two young
girls."  He stared at Akane distastefully.  "I certainly didn't train any 
boys."
 
    Akane couldn't take any more.  "I'm Akane!"

    Soun blinked again.  And a few times for good measure.  "Akane?"

    Happosai blinked.  "My darling Akane?"

    "WHO DID THIS TO YOU!?!?"  The two bellowed in unison.

    "Uh," mumbled Akane.

    "RANMA!  WHY DIDN'T YOU PROTECT HER?"  they continued to bellow.

    "Uh," mumbled Ranma.

    Soun finally broke down into tears.  "My precious little daughter has been 
turned into a boy!"

    Happosai decided to take some action.  "Ranma!  You'll pay for turning
my dear, sweet Akane into a man!"  The little old man shot off of Soun's
head like a projectile at Ranma.  The redhead dodged, and started to run 
away.  "Hey, it's not like it's permanent or nothin'!"

    "Silence!  You DARE make excuses you little upstart..."  The voices
trailed off as the two quickly ran out of the Tendo compound and into the
streets of Nerima.

    Akane fidgeted a bit.  "Uh, so what should I do about clothes?"

    Soun wailed even louder.

    "When are you getting back to the game, Tendo?"  Genma poked his head
into the hall to see Kasumi, a young man, and Soun crying on the floor.
"Tendo?"

    "My daughter's been cursed!"

    "Really?"  Genma adjusted his glasses to look at the young man.  "Akane?"

    The boy in question tried to look elsewhere.

    "This is WONDERFUL!"

    Akane's grip tightened on his shinai.  "Come again?"

    "Now you and Ranma make the perfect couple!"

    "ExCUSE ME?!?"

    "Why yes, Saotome.  That hadn't occurred to me."  Soun stopped crying as
quickly as he had started.  "And I always wanted a son..."

    "DAD!!!"  This wasn't happening.  This couldn't be happening.

    "Let's see how powerful your new body is, girl."  Saotome was smiling
widely.  

    "This isn't the time!"

    "It's the perfect time.  I'm sure Soun has a gi you can wear, until we 
can heat up some hot water."

    "We should get the hot water, now!"

    "Nonsense.  You should get used to your new body as quickly as possible.
I don't want you to be as uptight about your curse as that idiot son of mine.
You should accept it, and the power it brings you.  The sooner you adapt to 
it, the better."

    "I don't WANT to accept it.  I'm a girl!   Kasumi, tell them!"

    "Oh yes, father, that gi would be perfect for Akane."

    Soun was holding a white gi he hadn't worn in years, and was nodding 
enthusiastically at Kasumi, who was in turn smiling brightly.  Genma was 
grinning like a wild man.  His family was insane.

    "I'm ho-ome!"  Nabiki walked in the front door, and quickly encountered
everyone in the hall.  "Anything interesting happen?"

    "..."
 
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                 Author's Notes 
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    The confusion with gender pronouns is only going to get even worse in the 
next ep.  
    
    When speaking, characters will use pronouns appropriate to a person's
birth gender (i.e. Ranma is called a boy, and Akane a girl).  However, in 
narration, they will refer to a person's current gender, so I don't have to 
add Boy-Type or -chan designations to everyone.  

    I recognize that this will make things horribly confusing for a while, but 
rest assured, things will clear up soon.

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 End Part  2    Next Time:  "Ranma's Dilemma.  Goodbye, Boy-Type!"
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