It had started out much as a normal day for two boys....but it was going to end up being a turning point that would totally change their lives forever. These two boys in question were very similar. Both were of the same age. Both loved the same girl, though both would be hard pressed to ever admit it, one being too stubborn the other being too shy. Both were martial artists each with strengths and weakness that seemed to compliment each other. One had speed and skill...the other had strength and endurance. Also both were cursed at the same place. Jusenkyou. These two boys were Ranma Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki. Ranma Saotome was cursed by falling into the "Spring of Drowned Girl" while Ryouga Hibiki was cursed by falling into the "Spring of Drowned Piglet". Ranma's curse being mostly the fault of his father, Genma Saotome and Ryouga's curse being mostly the fault of Ranma. The last things these two shared in common was their sense of pride....their egos, about the same size though Ranma's was bigger if they were ever measured...and their desire to be rid of their respective curse. This desire to be rid of the curse was fueled immensely and they would even help each other if they could be cured. That is exactly what happened to them...though the results were not what they had expected.
Ranma-chan sighed to herself as she walked home from school her shirt almost totally dry from the *accident* with Kuno. He had just been about to get a drink of water from the fountain at school before heading home. Akane had already stormed off angry at him again for not trying her cooking. Of course he hadn't made things any better when he mentioned what HE thought her cooking did to the local plant life. Luckily Ucchan had been there to save him by making him some Okonmiyaki for lunch.
He was about to take a drink of water when Kuno's words of, "The vengence of heaven is slow but sure..."Gave his attack away as his bokken demolsihed the fountain instead of him. However Kuno's attack did succeed in getting him soaking wet....and female. Kuno then proceeded to proclaim his love for her, glomp onto her and get punted halfway across Nerima. Ranma sighed as he walked down the road towards the Tendo's. He would enjoy getting home and turning back to a guy again. Right now the last thing he wanted to do was fight. So, of course, it was inevitable for from behind him a familiar voice to cry out, "RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!!!!!"
Ryouga was lost. As usual. He walked along his very large backpack hefted onto his back and on that his umbrella, both of which he bore easily. He sighed looking at the map he held in his hands. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. None of the places on here the people he asked for directions knew of and nobody seemed to know where Nerima was. He could only think of two things during his long journey. One...Akane. The beautiful Akane. He smiled remembering how she moved...how she smiled...how she laughed. Then an image of Ranma came into view and he scowled. That was reason number two. Ranma. His rival.....his enemy...the soul reason his life was the hell it was. The reason he was cursed as a pig! A pig that Akane adopted as her pet. He sighed. Today would be the day! Today he would break Ranma and confess his love for Akane. Today he would do it!
He'd been walking for days now and finally stopped and looked up and around from his map. This place looked familar to him. Very familar. Almost as if he's been here before....a lot. His train of thought was cut off and Ranma-chan, oblivous to him walked past him at the intersection and kept on going down the street. He blinked and stared after Ranma watching him go. He thought, {Wait a minute! That was Ranma! That means....I'm in Nerima! That means....} without another thought he pulled his umbrella and chased after Ranma down the street and bellowed, "RANMA PERPARE TO DIE!!!!!"
Ryouga charged Ranma swinging his umbrella wildly. Ranma leaped, ducked, moved and otherwise dodged all of Ryouga's swings and thrusts. He suddenly leaped up into the air away from Ryouga landing on a bus bench. Ryouga growled and was livid, "Damnit Ranma!! Quit running and take your beating like a man!!!" He charged and thrust his index finger into the bench crying out. "Bakusei Tenketsu!!!" Ranma leaped away as the bench exploded in a flurry of slipnters. He took the diversion to rebound off a nearby building and shoot forward slamming a punch into Ryouga's stomach knocking him back. Ranma landed on his feet and took battle stance. Ryouga recovered and did the same. They stood there for a few moments in silence.
"Well why are you angry at me now P-chan?", Ranma questioned.
Ryouga growled, "Who're you calling P-chan?! You know why I'm angry with you Ranma! I won't let you continue to torment Akane like you do!!! DIE RANMA!!!" He had been pulling off some of his bandanas and was spinning them. He then threw them and they shot out whizzing through the air back and forth zooming around Ranma threatening to cut him if he wasn't careful. Ranma wasn't too worried and easily dodged the bandanas. Suddenly a trashcan flew his way and he was forced to dodge to the left....right into Ryouga's charge from the right. Ryouga slammed hard into Ranma knocking the wind out of him. He ran and didn't stop holding Ranma with him slamming into and through building Ranma taking the brunt of each wall they went though. Ranma caught his breath but was starting to feel the pain in his back. He had to get Ryouga to stop somehow. He pulled back and looked Ryouga in the face wincing with each wall he was slammed into.
"Ryouga!! Stop this!! Are you too afraid to fight me like a man so you have to resort to tricks like this!?"
"Tricks Ranma?! You should be one to talk. You've ran away in the middle of a fight and even flashed your chest to win a fight and you call what I'm doing tricks? Don't make me laugh.", Ryouga scoffed glaring at Ranma. He just had to keep running through building and knock him out.
Ranma winced again as another wall was slammed into him...or vice verse the effect was the same. He had to get Ryouga to stop. "Okay Ryouga I'll apologize to Akane for all the mean things of said to her.", Ranma said hoping that would get him.
Ryouga kept running but didn't look as mad, "A...apologize?" He paused in though but kept
running. Would that work? "Do you give your word!? Swear it!! Give me your solemn vow!", Ryouga barked at him. He knew Ranma, above all, had enough honor to keep his word if he gave it. Ranma sighed lightly. At least he was getting through to him a little.
"I promise Ryouga! I swear by the martial artists code of honor I will apologize to Akane the next time I see her now will you please stop this stupid fight!!! I'm not in the mood for it today!!", Ranma said hoping he'd agree. Ryouga kept running and considered this. If Akane knew that he got Ranma to apologize....she might like him enough to go out with him and then...he could tell her how he felt. He nodded.
"Okay fine Ranma! You've got a deal!", Ryouga said and grinned to himself. A few moments passed as Ryouga grinned to himself and daydreamed of how he would profess his love for Akane. Suddenly those dreams were shattered as Ranma spoke up.
"Uhh...Ryouga?", Ranma said looking at Ryouga with a *Boy are you stupid* look.
"What do you want Ranma?! I've stopped the fight!!", Ryouga barked getting angry again.
"Yeeeeaaaaah...but could you stop RUNNING!!?", Ranma yelled. Ryouga blinked. He was still running.
"Oh. Uhh..sorry.", Ryouga said and slowed down. He stopped running setting Ranma back down. Ranma growled lightly and turned to walk away from Ryouga. He blinked. Nerima was gone. They were standing in the middle of a large valley. A temple could be seen in the distance. Ranma blinked stunned and looked about. Ryouga stood looking about and scratched his head confused. Ranma broke the silence.
"RYOUGA WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!?!?!!?"
"How should I know Ranma?! Look. There's a temple over there! We can ask directions there.", Ryouga said and walked past Ranma headed for the temple.
"Yeah whatever.", Ranma said unenthused with the plan but followed. After about 30 steps towards it Ryouga began to veer off course. Ranma sighed and reached over pulling him back righting his course.
"This is all your fault!", Ryouga muttered.
"What?! MY fault?! How is this MY fault?! Tell me that!", Ranma said back in disbelief.
"If you had just taken you're beating like a man in Nerima we wouldn't be here!!!", Ryouga shouted at him.
"I don't believe you Ryouga you are SUCH an idiot!!", Ranma retorted.
"I am not you take that back!!", Ryouga growled at Ranma.
"No! I won't!", Ranma snapped back at Ryouga getting angry himself.
"Take it back I said!!!", Ryouga said enraged reaching for his umbrella.
The Temple of Niju no Hito. A peaceful, serene place. The monks of the temple went about their business. Some prayed, some cleaned, some taught. The leader of these monks was attending to the gardens. He nodded to himself as he watched a few monks planting some fresh flowers. They looked to be a strange cross between a rose and a lily. He lightly paused to watch them. They glanced to him...as if for approval. He smiled softly to them and nodded then moved off. The monks smiled to themselves and continued planting. The head monk, dressed in vibrant red robes, paused at the center of the gardens. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. He looked about the courtyard of the temple and saw what he had seen every other day. Nothing out of place. He wondered if he was imagining things when a light tremor shook the ground. The monk looked around again and slowly his eyes came to focus on a wall. Another tremor this one a little larger rocked the temple causeing a few stones on the ground to tremble a bit. The other monks began to notice and became nervous. They saw where the head monk was staring and quickly moved away.
Another tremor this one accompanied by the distant sound of an explosion. A few moments later another sounded along with voices. They voices were soon accompanied by sounds of combat, an explosion sounding off every once in a while the whole getting closer and closer. A sudden angered shout rang out just from the other side of the temple wall.
"DIIIIIIIEEEEEE RANMAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!", and with that a portion of the wall exploded in a hail of rock pieces. The head monk gestured with his hands quickly and sent any debris away from him and narrowed his eyes watching as Ranma jumped through the hole followed quickly by Ryouga who reached the same height as Ranma swung his umbrella at Ranma. Ranma seemed to flip away in mid air. Both combatents landed and stared at each other. They slowly circled both tensed and ready for any move by the other.
"I said take that back Ranma!! Take it back or I'll beat it out of you!!", Ryouga growled.
"Ha! You haven't touched me once yet Mr. P!", Ranma said back smirking. Ryouga leapt forward and swung his umbrella furiously and Ranma dodged every hit. Frustrated Ryouga tried once again thrusting his finger at a statue Ranma was beside.
"Bakusei Tenketsu!!!!", Ryouga shouted and the statue exploded into pieces. Ranma dodged leaping up over the debris and landed behind Ryouga.
{The Bakusei Tenketsu. He is one of great strength.}, The head monk thought watching them fight on.
"Katsu Tenshin Amaguriken!!!", Ranma shouted and sent a flurry of punches at Ryouga just after he turned around.
{The Katsu Tenshin Amaguriken. The other one has the speed of the striking cobra.}, the monk thought and raised an eyebrow at the next events.
Ryouga stagged back winded and a battle aura began forming. Ryouga began concentrating on his depression and anger at Ranma. Ranma leaped back and began to form his own battle aura.
The head monk nodded to himself after watching the two. He narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at their auras. He turned and whispered to a near monk who nodded and ran off. Meanwhile Ranma and Ryouga facing off were building up their energy steadily. It would just be a matter of who would reach their peak first. It was Ryouga.
"SHISHI HOUKOUDAN!!!!!", Ryouga bellowed and thrust his hands out sending a yellow flaring ball of chi at Ranma.
"MOKO TAKABISHA!!!!", Ranma shouted back and leaped back thrusting his heands out sending a blinding white bal of chi at Ryouga. The two blasts collided between them and exploded upon contact cancelling each other out. both combatants glared at each other and suddenly leapt at each other and began to grapple glaring at each other with hatred. They would have continued when they were interupted suddenly.
~SPLASH~ Ranma-chan blinked and turned glaring at the head monk who held an empty bucket now. Ignoring the bwee's of the now pigified Ryouga she stalked over and glared slightly up at the monk who was smiling softly.
"What did you do that for?!?!", Ranma-chan shouted at him. The monk merely nodded.
"It is as I thought. Jusenkyou. You both have been cursed by the springs of Jusenkyou.", the head monk said softly. Ranma-chan and Ryouga blinked simultaneously.
{He knows of Jusenkyou?! Maybe he knows a cure!!}, both cursed boys thought at the same time. The monk motioned with a hand and another monk moved and picked up Ryouga's clothes and backpack and carried them inside. Ryouga bweed his protest but the monk bent down and picked him up.
"Hush young man. I would imagine you two would like to know if we know of a cure for Jusenkyou. We do. We can cure you two if you would like...however...", the monk began but didn't get to finish.
"A cure!!!" "BWEEE!!!", Ranma-chan and Ryouga shouted at the same time. Ranma-chan continued, "Whatever it is we'll do it right Ryouga?!" Ryouga nodded vigoursly. The monk paused and then nodded turning and walking towards the temple.
"Very well then but I should warn you. The procedure will only cure you both of two curses. The two that most keep you from a happy and normal life. You can decline and we will think nothing less of you. There are...", the monk was again interupted by Ranma-chan.
"Whatever it is we'll do it!! I've been looking for a cure for a long time. It is a permanent cure right?!! Not temporary?", Ranma-chan asked hoping.
"Yes. It is permanent but...", the monk again began but was again interupted Ranma-chan taking Ryouga out of his arms and thorwing him in the air and catching him again.
"YES!! you hear that Ryouga. I may have accidentally got you cursed but I'm also gonna get you cured so you better not bug me anymore and stops this grudge alright?!", Ranma-chan said smiling. Ryouga, actually feeling happy and hopefull bweed and nodded. If he was cured he could finally tell Akane how he felt. The grudge with Ranma could wait.
"Very well then. Follow me. I'll have a hot bath drawn for you two so you may change back before we begin.", the monk said entering the temple followed by Ranma-chan who carried Ryouga in. The monk sighed softly as the girl and pig was led off to revert. He turned and walked off to prepare the room. {Headstrong those two are. I did try to warn them. Perhaps it is for the best....but I wish they would have listened and let me finish. The side effects may prove too much for them.}, the monk thought and opened a large ornate door slightly slipping in and shutting it.
One week later at the Tendo House. It is night. In the living room we see Soun sitting crying and Kasumi trying to comfort him. Genma is sitting a stern look to his face but it seems forced. Nabiki is sitting idly counting money but she also seems to be forcing herself, her usual spark of pleasure dimmed. Akane is pacing back and forth and looking extremely worried about something. Every once in a while she slides open the door and looks out to the yard and shuts it with a sigh. She paces and repeats looking out again several times pacing in between looks.
"Where is he? Where could he have gone? That stupid idiot better not have gotten himself killed or when I see him I'll kill him myself!", Akane says trying to sound angry but all she manages is worry.
"Don't worry sis. I'm sure Ranma is fine. He can take care of himself you know?", Nabiki says in her normal flat tone with a light hint of concern and glances up.
"Your sister is right Akane. My son is heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. He can overcome any danger...any obstacle. He will be fine.", Genma says with a mostly confident tone but it is obvious he i worried and putting up a strong front for everyone else. A rare noble gesture by Genma.
"Yeah...you guys are right....I suppose.", Akane says still worried. She continues to pace. A sudden thunderclap sounds outside causing her to jump. Followed moments later by the sounds of rainfall. Akane sighs and moves sitting down at the table. {Where are you Ranma? Don't you dare get yourself killed. I....I'm not sure...I can live with...}, her thought is broken off by a sudden thump against the outside door she was just looking out of. Everyone starts and the whole group rushes to the door and flings it open. A flash of lightning suddenly illuminates the figure in the doorway. It does and doesn't look like Ranma. Akane screams from the lighning and falls back into Genma who catches her. The figure's face covered by the red bamboo umbrella it holds up keeping the rain from his body. The figure stepped inside the house slowly and everyone backed up as it did. Akane lightly shrugged Genma's hands off her and swallowed. She immediately noticed the umbrella and blinked.
"Ry...Ryouga?", Akane asked softly. The figure visably winced.
"Sort of.", it responded quietly. the whole group blinked at that. It turned and shut the door behind it and then faced them again. It lifted and shut the red bamboo umbrella and lifted it's head. The figure stood taller than Ranma and yet shorter than Ryouga and was male. He wore an orange chinese shirt much the same as Ranma's with the small wooden fasteners up the front. His hair was black and his eyes were a strange combination of blue and green. His bangs were held back by a familiar yellow and black-spotted bandana. Sticking out at the back of his head could be seen a very familiar ponytail. His pants were black, or seemed black and were laced up around the shins. On his back was Ryouga's backpack and small fangs protruded from his mouth as he lightly bit his lower lip. His face and build were strangely contoured. He looked like Ranma in some ways and yet....in other ways he looked like Ryouga. Genma saw his son somehow changed. Akane saw Ryouga somehow changed.
"Son?" "Ryouga?", Genma and Akane said at the same time.
"........Yes.", the young boy replied wincing a bit.
"Well which one are you?", Nabiki asked very curious about this. Soun and Kasumi just stodd watching Soun in shock and Kasumi just smiling softly.
".......", the boy replied staying silent.
"Well?! Which one ARE you?", Akane Genma and Nabiki prodded the boy.
".......Both.", the boy replied. Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, Soun and Genma all blinked at exactly the same time. Soun and Genma feinted on the spot while Akane and Nabiki stood there slack jawed staring. Kasumi smiled a bit and went over tilting her head lightly.
"Welcome back you two. Did you have fun on your little trip? Would you like something to eat or would you rather rest. You look exhausted.", Kasumi said obliviously just happy Ranma was back and things could return to normal. It didn't really matter to her his body and mind had been completely joined to Ryouga's.
"Ummm....maybe we'd better explain what happened first Kasumi?", the boy said and sighed to himself and moved in sitting down and getting ready to explain to the Tendo's how this mess had happened. Somewhere deep in his mind his two halves grumbled to each other. {This is all your fault Ranma!! Shut up Ryouga!!! Just go and blindly accept that guys help!! Hey I didn't see you turning it down!!! If we weren't sharing the same body I'd kill you. SHUT UP RYOUGA!!!} It was going to be a long night.
