Ranma 1/2: Divided We Stand free porn video

Okay, we all know the standard disclaimer by now, I'm sure, and some people feel that it's not necessary... But better safe than sorry, right? So here goes: Ranma 1/2 and all its colorful cast are the legal property of the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi (may she live forever), Shogakukan, Viz Video, and Shonen Sunday Comics. All original characters that may appear belong to me. This story is purely for entertainment, and is in no way intended for profit. If it ever earns me a penny, may I be thwacked with a thousand mallets of justice. This is my first submission to this site, so I'm definitely looking for some feedback. I started this story some time ago, and my main reason for posting these completed chapters is to get some opinions, and get myself motivated to finish it. Yes, it's a Ranma fanfic, and I know that the whole "Ranma gets split" thing has been done before, but I'm taking it in what is, as far as I can tell, a fairly new direction, so bear with me. I've got some great plot ideas, and it gets a lot more interesting. Email questions or comments to [email protected] And now, on with the show. :) *** The complex and terrifyingly large mechanism that is our universe, is a wondrous thing to behold, when one bothers to stop and look at it. So many tiny, seemingly insignificant rules detailing what can and cannot be. So many, that no human could possibly list them all in his natural lifespan if he began at the moment of birth and continued ceaselessly until death arrived to claim him. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." A very easy thing to take for granted most of the time. But when one sits back and looks... really looks... and is able to catch a glimpse of the machine that keeps it all running, it is a fantastic and frightening experience. What if two plus two did not equal four? What if you pressed a key on a typewriter and the moon exploded? What if you rang someone's doorbell and the sun grew cold? What if a trumpet sounded like a chainsaw, then a motorboat, then an eagle? Backing every breath, every sound and every movement, is a strict and unbendable law. Even at its cruelest, the whole of creation is the most amazingly perfect work of art that has ever been and will ever be. Everywhere, the rules hold sway. From the barren surface of the moon to the living jungles of Africa; from the smallest third-world village to the largest and most prosperous city, they govern nearly every aspect of human existence. And then, there is Nerima. A typical Japanese neighborhood at first glance; nothing too special about it. But if ever there were a more likely place for the laws of the universe to be scoffed at, disregarded, trampled, and broken like brittle twigs under a hiker's boot, it has not yet been found. Nerima had seen more than its fair share of mayhem since the boy called Ranma Saotome had arrived in town. It just so happened that Akane, the fiancee his father and hers had practically forced on him, was the most sought-after girl in Nerima and not a week went by that some insanely powerful martial-artist, demented kendoist, or bumbling magician didn't try to steal her from Ranma somehow. Not, as he would often protest when confronted, that he even wanted her to begin with. Dozens of lives and destinies seemed to be bound to him, and he seemed to pick up enemies and love interests like a magnet picks up a chain of paperclips. From the way he was pursued, however, it was often hard to distinguish the ones who were trying to kill him from the ones who were trying to force upon him their own twisted versions of wedded bliss. He was made the center of a lot of lives for quite a while, so when he had finally decided that he did not hate Akane, the earth had almost shuddered. When he decided that he actually might kinda-sorta-maybe even *like* her just a little bit, the town held its breath. They knew what was coming. When he officially proposed to her, all hell broke loose. An all-out fight to the finish broke out, involving nearly all of the people who were either romantically interested in Ranma or Akane, or wanted to kill Ranma for one reason or another. No one really knew who was on whose side, which fists were aimed where, or what the suitors thought they would accomplish by pounding everyone flat. It was pure mayhem, but after nearly a month it ended. Ranma came out on top, as he always seemed to, and either drove away, or made peace with nearly all of his enemies, and some semblance of normality had returned. This time, the weary Nerimites hope that it was here to stay. Now, a few weeks after the war (and no one dared call it anything less than a war) had ended, Ranma sought to banish one of his last remaining troubles. Something that he had almost learned to live with, but could never completely accept. His Jusenkyo curse. And so, in a certain household in the Nerima ward of Tokyo, Japan; admittedly the site of many tales of romance, epic heroism, revenge, and unrequited love, our story begins. And though it begins with a familiar pigtailed martial artist, he is not the true hero of this tale. No, this is the story of the newest Saotome: Ranma's other half. Or perhaps not. Perhaps the real hero is one who was born, lived, and died hundreds of years before Ranma was even conceived of in thought, let alone in body. Perhaps this is in truth the tale of a brother, a sister, a jealous husband, and a curse spanning centuries. It is often said that the best place to begin is at the beginning. As with nearly any rule, however, there are exceptions. And so for now, this is the story of the end of Ranma's curse, and how his other half came to be. Where it goes from there, time will tell soon enough. Divided We Stand Chapter 1: The Great Divide A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by The Lunarhound It was a chilly night in late Autumn and Nerima was quiet for once. No martial-artists leapt across the rooftops battling for the hand of one lady or another, no chi blasts lit up the night sky, the buildings in the surrounding area were pretty much intact, and there was not a single battle- cry to be heard anywhere in the immediate vicinity. A welcome respite, though no one was really certain if it would last. Most just tried to enjoy it while it did. A small group had gathered in the dining room of the Tendo household to witness an event few thought would ever come to pass. And some weren't completely certain even now. Another day, another spell. This was the thought that echoed in the minds of most of those gathered here tonight, and Ranma knew it. Anyone could tell by the way his jaw was set and his gaze locked on the center of the room that he was mentally daring anyone to tell him not to go through with it. His father, mother, Mr. Tendo, Akane, Kasumi, Nabiki, Dr. Tofu (Who, for once, had managed to compose himself in Kasumi's presence), and Cologne, had all come to either witness or take part in the latest attempt to banish Ranma's curse. When Cologne had come from China a few days ago with a spell that would supposedly cure him, it was very unexpected as none of them had really thought to see her again. After Ranma and Akane had decided to formalize their engagement, Cologne had, quite surprisingly, put up no fuss. A few days later the Nekohanten was closed and Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse were gone. No one had really expected to hear from any of them again. Then suddenly, nearly a month later, Cologne had arrived at the Tendo household unexpectedly, announcing that she had brought a spell to cure Ranma's curse. This was something of a surprise for several reasons. First of all, an attempt had already been made some time ago to cure Ranma by the one means that everyone had been almost positive would work: The Nannichuan. Taking a cue from Soun after the failed wedding attempt, Cologne had sent to China for a flask of water from the spring of drowned man in hopes of bribing Ranma. Unfortunately, Shampoo, still certain that Ranma loved her and would choose her over any other under the right circumstances, had taken the water and offered it, and herself, to Ranma in person. Ranma, in a frenzy of joy, had snatched the water, upended it over his head, and actually hugged her when he failed to change into a girl. Shampoo took this the wrong way of course, and it resulted in several weeks worth of trouble as she began insisting that Ranma had officially accepted their marriage and Akane chased Ranma around the house swatting him with whatever objects were within easy reach. When Akane wasn't busy with him, Mousse chased him around town hurling knives, chains, swords, and the occasional rubber chicken; Ryoga reverted temporarily to 'kill Ranma' mode and chased him around for being unfaithful to Akane; and Kuno chased him on general principle, and because everyone else seemed to be doing it. And because he was Kuno. To make matters worse, the cure hadn't even worked. Though the Nannichuan water itself had failed to change him, the curse seemed to be in perfect working order when it came to normal cold water. The second thing that made Cologne's offer of a cure surprising was that she really had no reason to do it. In fact, she had a whole slew of reasons not to. The big one, of course, being that all of the time she'd spent away from her responsibilities in the village trying to get Ranma wed to Shampoo had come to naught. Or had it? Cologne was a crafty old woman, and the fact that she had not put up any resistance to Ranma and Akane's newly formalized engagement was reason enough to believe that maybe she wasn't through. Who knew what this spell would do to Ranma? It wouldn't be the first time she'd used magic in an attempt to somehow take control of him. None of them really believed she'd harm Ranma, but then you could never be too sure when it came to the Amazons. In fact, Ranma still remembered the conversation he had with Cologne in this very room shortly after her arrival. *** "Why should I trust you, you old ghoul?" he asked, glaring at her across the low table with narrowed eyes. "How do I know this ain't some crazy scheme to somehow drag me off to China and marry Shampoo? How do I know that spell ain't gonna turn me into a zombie or somethin'?" Cologne's voice was incredibly patient as she answered him. "Do you really think I'd do something so blatantly obvious Ranma? Besides, you'd be of very little use to me as a zombie." Ranma crossed his arms and continued to stare at the old woman, not in the least convinced. "Uh huh. Like you ain't never tried to get me with some kinda mind control before. Why would you want to help me get rid of my curse anyway?" Cologne sighed. "Ranma, I know how you see me, but you must know that I do respect you. You are a very talented martial artist, which is why I wanted you to begin with. Everything I ever did, I did because it was what I thought best." A slow smile appeared on the old woman's face. "Well... Most of it. I must admit, it was a nice vacation. Being an Amazon elder is hard and often unrewarding work. The things you children got yourselves involved in reminded me so much of my own youth... Being here has done this old heart a world of good." She picked up the teacup sitting in front of her and took a long slow sip before continuing. "I know that these may not seem valid reasons to you or any of the others in this household, but there is nothing I can do to change the past." Ranma frowned at her and was about to say something but she didn't even allow him to open his mouth. "There is nothing I can do Ranma." It was clear by the tone of her voice that this was the final word on the subject. "I doubt there is much I can do that will cause you to come with me of your own free will either. And the few things that I could possibly do to convince you would be far less than honorable." Ranma actually managed to open his mouth this time before he was interrupted. "I know what you're going to say. Spells... Charms... Mind control..." Cologne smiled slightly. "Maybe I didn't always play fair. But there are some things that I simply will not stoop to. Or at least, not in this case. I too can remember a time when love was all that mattered. If nothing else, being here has done at least that much for me. "The only thing I could hope to accomplish by bringing you a spell that would harm you or any other is personal revenge. Revenge in combat is one thing, but hurting you merely because I lost this little game of ours fair and square would be childish and stupid. It would in no way serve the Amazons or myself. And... Obedient as she is to me, I don't believe Shampoo would ever completely forgive me." Cologne stopped speaking for a moment and looked up at Ranma. "She still loves you." Ranma's harsh and distrustful expression softened a bit and he frowned uncomfortably. "I know," he whispered, staring over Cologne's head into empty space. "I'm sorry." Cologne said, and her voice told Ranma that she meant it. "I shouldn't have said that, but old habits die hard. Those days are passed. You belong to Akane now. Perhaps you always did." "It's okay." Ranma said quietly. Cologne sighed again and shook her head. "Ranma, You are only a child, and often a foolish one at that, but you have it inside of you to become a great man." As she said this, she couldn't help but give a little mental chuckle. She could not remember a time in many, many years when she had admitted that there was even such a thing as a great man. "I bring you this spell in friendship. Believe me or don't, it doesn't matter much to me. If you wish it, I'll be gone tomorrow. I'll leave the spell, the written incantation, and the instructions for performing it here with you. As long as you're able to find someone who can read Chinese and properly pronounce the words, you can use it at any time." It was a nice speech, Cologne thought. Much of it was even true. It was tailored to suit the occasion of course, but that didn't mean that a good deal of it was not heartfelt. It was not entirely true that the spell was brought as a simple peace offering, but bad times forgotten; or at least somewhat forgiven; would be a nice benefit. She just hoped the boy would buy it. Ranma had closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and looked at Cologne long and hard. Cologne didn't quite know what to make of this. Ranma was not a thinker, that was for certain. He had a good heart, and while it was often clouded with pride, it caused him to shine nonetheless. But this appraising look he was giving her now was something she had never seen before. It did not make her nervous; she'd seen far too much in her many years of life for something like this to cause her anxiety. What it did was cause her to think that maybe he was finally starting to grow up, even if only a little. "All right." he said. "Let's give this thing a try." "There's one more thing," she said, looking Ranma in the eye. "As with all ancient magic, I can't guarantee that this spell is completely safe. It's purpose is clear enough, but there is always a risk involved when tapping into the ancient powers. Are you still certain that you want to do this?" "Yeah, I'm sure" he answered. "I've had this curse for too long and I ain't gonna live with it for the rest of my life. If this spell can get rid of it then let's do it." *** That had been yesterday morning. Tonight, Ranma's friends and family were gathered in the Tendo dining room to witness the cure that Ranma had wanted for so long. His father, surprisingly, had offered to try it first. Despite this uncharacteristic show of bravery, Ranma had simply shaken his head. Genma had been visibly relieved. The preparations and procedures for the spell were surprisingly simple. A symbol resembling a mobius within a triangle was drawn in chalk on the dining room floor (Kasumi didn't much like this but of course she said nothing), some sort of incense was lit and allowed to burn to the left and right sides of the symbol, five candles were lit and placed at various points around it, and a few incantations were spoken over the whole setup. Last of all a small glass of cold water was placed on the table, which had been moved aside to make room for the spell. Ranma had held Akane's hand as he watched Dr. Tofu and Cologne prepare all of this. Now he looked over at her and she returned his gaze. "Akane if this works..." Akane smiled. "I know." She continued to look at him for a few moments. "Are you scared?" Ranma gave her a confident grin. "Me? Scared? 'Course not." Akane rested her head on his shoulder. "Baka." she whispered. "Don't lie to me." Ranma looked just the tiniest bit flustered and awkwardly put his arm around her. "It'll be okay, Akane. I promise." He continued to hold her, everything fading from his mind but the feel of her body against his and the scent of her hair until suddenly Cologne's voice caused him to look to the center of the room where she stood beside the symbol, staff in hand. "It's time, Ranma. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you'll be rid of this curse." Ranma nodded and released Akane as he walked toward the symbol. He felt her hand squeeze his briefly and he did the same before letting go. Akane stepped back and clasped her hands in front of her, looking on anxiously. "Step inside and sit down Ranma." Cologne said, motioning to the symbol with her staff and causing thin wisps of smoke from the incense to swirl eerily around it's tip. Ranma nodded, stepped into the symbol, and sat down cross- legged, his face expressionless but the apprehension clear in his eyes. He looked around the room at all of the people gathered there and tried his best to give them a confident smile. Nodoka was visibly worried but said nothing, merely standing and gazing at her son. She clutched her wrapped sword tightly in both hands as if for support. Nabiki's face was, as usual, unreadable. She stood beside Kasumi watching Ranma closely. When she saw him look at her she smiled slightly and gave him the 'victory' sign. Kasumi fidgeted with the sash on her apron and watched with motherly concern. Soun, not surprisingly, looked close to tears. He appeared to be holding them back though, which was good. One of his outbursts would not help at all. Akane also appeared to be near tears but she blinked them back when she saw Ranma looking at her and flashed him one of her radiant smiles, which, despite the obvious tension behind it, was beautiful nonetheless. It was difficult to tell what Genma was thinking. He was gazing thoughtfully at his son, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his eyes hidden behind his glasses. At Ranma's glance he nodded once. "Good luck, boy." he said. Cologne turned to face Ranma, raised her staff, and said a few words in Chinese. She then lay her staff at her feet, reached into the folds of her robe, and drew out a crisp white sheet of paper on which she had copied the words of the spell, the scroll being too old and too valuable to risk taking to Japan. She motioned for Dr. Tofu to bring her the glass of water, which was still sitting on the table. He did so, and she placed it on the floor beside her staff. Then, slowly and carefully, she began to recite the words of the spell. As Cologne read, the entire room held it's breath. The smoke from the incense slowly began to bend toward Ranma, the thin wisps circling him lazily. Cologne's voice began to rise gradually and as it did the chalk outline of the magic symbol on the floor began to glow a soft green color. As Cologne's voice continued to rise the glow grew brighter. The two gray wisps of smoke suddenly adjusted course and entered Ranma's ears. Two more rose up from the incense and after pausing for a moment as if to regard the young man before them, entered his nose. Another two rose, paused, and drifted toward his mouth. Within the symbol Ranma sat, his eyes closed, his breathing even. When the smoke had begun to circle him he had definitely felt something. He didn't feel any magic within himself just yet but the air had somehow begun to seem charged, as if with electricity. He almost expected to feel a shock on his arm or leg at any moment. And then he felt as if he were being watched. He couldn't tell if what was watching him was intelligent or not but he knew that feeling. As a martial artist he had come to recognize it. Something was definitely watching him. And it was close. Then suddenly he felt a tickling in his ears. At first he thought that he must be imagining it, but it didn't go away and after a few moments he realized that something was entering his body through them. He stiffened but remained still. Although he knew that this was probably just part of the spell he couldn't help but tense up a little. Then he felt the same thing at his nose. A fain't tickling, and then the feeling of something long, thin, and soft sliding down it and into his throat. He tried hard to remain calm as whatever it was continued to do whatever it was doing. And then he felt it at his mouth. His mouth was closed though, and it couldn't get in. The thing tickled his lips, then waited. It almost seemed to be knocking, and waiting for permission to enter. Ranma hesitated; surely this was only part of the spell. Anyway, the others had already gone in right? If he didn't let the spell do what it was supposed to do it might not work. Slowly and reluctantly he opened his mouth just a crack. Whatever it was entered immediately, moving over his lips and tongue, and down his throat. The wispy tendrils moved about, tickling his insides. He could feel them all throughout his body now. They were everywhere inside of him, coiling about and winding themselves through his system. It felt as if spirits were probing his insides with soft fingers, finding out exactly what was there and what made him work. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable but Ranma didn't like it one bit. He had a feeling that these things were preparing to do something and that whatever that something was; he wasn't going to like it. Still chanting, Cologne reached for the vial of water at her feet. She picked it up, raised it slowly, and released its contents, splashing Ranma full in the face. Ranma felt cold water splash him and the wispy fingers suddenly ceased to be gentle. They stopped their probing and tightened around a hundred different places inside him, holding his innards in a steely grip. Ranma waited, trying to keep his breathing even, telling himself that it couldn't last forever. Whether this thing cured him or killed him it would have to end sometime. And then the fingers pulled. They pulled from many directions, all outward. Sharp pain coursed through Ranma's body. He tried to keep his breathing even, but it was getting difficult. The fingers pulled harder and then suddenly doubled in strength. The pain grew and grew and Ranma suddenly realized that these things, whatever the hell they were, were trying to pull him apart. So Cologne had lied. She had been out for revenge after all and now she was going to kill him in front of his friends and all of his family. Rage and fear surged within him and he tried to rise but for some reason he couldn't. The pain continued to grow and the fingers continued to pull and Ranma was losing the ability to think. The strength of the pulling doubled again, and Ranma's eyes shot open. He opened his mouth and at first nothing would come out. Slowly, a hoarse scream rose from his throat. He could no longer think. He barely knew who he was. All he knew was this terrible pain that had become his world. He felt his flesh being torn but there was nothing he could do. It was too late. The blackness was rushing up to claim him and he accepted it gratefully. His last thought before he slipped into oblivion was of a smiling face framed in short blue-black hair. He tried to scream her name but he didn't know if he succeeded. He didn't even know what to scream with. His body was being slowly ripped apart. Despairingly, he plunged into darkness. *** Everyone watched nervously as Ranma opened his mouth slightly to allow the smoke to enter. None of them liked this but no one dared interfere. Cologne's voice continued to drone on in Chinese and the smoky tendrils pushed themselves deeper into Ranma's ears, nose, and throat. Cologne's voice rose sharply as she picked up the glass of water at her feet and tossed it on Ranma. He tensed visibly and so did the tendrils. They were no longer lazy, but taught and looked as if they were pulling. Ranma's breath was becoming labored and from the sweat beading on his face it was obvious that he was in pain. Still, no one attempted to interfere. The tendrils began to pull harder and Ranma was gasping now, his face showing something bordering on panic. And then suddenly the wisps doubled their efforts and Ranma's eyes snapped open. His mouth opened wider and he began to emit a hoarse choking sound. The sound soon rose into a tortured scream that was so filled with pain that it barely seemed human. Ranma's body began to convulse slightly, and then everyone realized with horror that he was not convulsing, but the tendrils were pulling in short but strong jerks. They were pulling away from each other and Ranma's body was slowly being torn in two. Everyone continued to stare, too stunned to act, when suddenly Ranma's scream took shape. "Akane!!" he screeched, his voice sounding nothing like his own. It was high and inhuman and reminded one of a car's tires squealing, only much higher and louder and full of unbelievable pain. It could have been the voice of a demon. Akane suddenly shook her head, finally snapping out of the daze, and leapt toward the center of the room. "Ranma!" she cried. She felt a hand catch her arm and turn her around. "Akane..." Dr. Tofu said, "Don't. We don't know what will happen if you try to disrupt the spell. Most likely it will take hold of you as well." Tears were streaming down Akane's face and she struggled against Tofu's grip. "I don't care! It's killing him!" "We don't know that." Tofu said, raising his eyes to Ranma for a moment. The boy had stopped screaming but the sight of him was terrible. He was now visibly stretched, the wisps slowly tearing him in half. There was no blood though, and bones should have started to snap by now. Whatever this spell was doing to Ranma may be painful, but it wasn't killing him. God, he hoped it wasn't killing him. "What do you mean we don't know that?!" Akane screamed. "Look what it's doing to him! He'll die if I don't help him! Doctor, please, I have to help him, let me go!" Akane was writhing violently now and obviously in no condition to listen to him, so Tofu gently tapped a point on her neck and she went limp. He turned her face so that she was looking at him. "Listen to me, Akane. Whatever this spell is doing to Ranma, I don't think it's killing him. It's causing him a great deal of pain, but some spells do that. Magic is often not a pretty thing. If this thing were killing him there would be blood by now. You need to stay calm. If I release you will you stay calm?" Akane managed to nod. "Good." Tofu tapped another point on her neck and Akane stood as she regained her mobility, then turned to face the symbol. Cologne's chant had risen in volume so that she was almost shouting now. Ranma was a strange and gruesome sight indeed. He looked as if he were made of putty and was slowly being stretched. Akane choked back a sob and turned away. *If this spell kills Ranma* she thought to herself, *I'm never going to forgive her. I don't care if she brings the entire Amazon treasury as a 'peace offering'.* Most of those in the room had turned away from the sight of Ranma. Only Genma and Tofu still stared in horror. And then suddenly there was a flash of greenish light and a loud sharp snap. Cologne's chanting ceased and she collapsed, apparently unconscious. The spell was completed. Smoke now covered the center of the room. As it began to clear, everyone knew what they would see. The two mangled pieces of what had once been Ranma. But it was nothing of the sort. The smoke cleared slowly. The symbol had vanished and two forms could be seen lying on the floor. Akane was the first to approach them. Fearfully she whispered, "Ranma?" There was no answer. More smoke cleared and she recognized the two forms lying there, still and silent. One was Ranma. The other, lying so close that she was almost touching him, was a familiar red- headed girl. Ranma's clothes lay scattered in shreds and the two were completely naked, but that didn't matter at the moment. Akane knelt down beside Ranma and fumbled for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief as she found it. "Is he all right?" Nodoka's voice came to her from across the room. "He's alive," she answered, not sure if he qualified as 'all right' at the moment. She then turned to the girl, staring at her for a few moments in wonder. She knew this girl well. They all did. It was Ranma's female half. His cursed form. The second body that he had wanted for so long to be rid of. So that's how the spell had cured the curse; it had literally torn it from him. Dr. Tofu approached the girl and kneeled beside her, reaching down to feel for a pulse. "She's alive." Akane's eyes widened and she barely heard Kasumi's soft exclamation of "Oh my..." as she stared at the doctor in disbelief. "Alive? That's impossible... I just checked Ranma's pulse. He's alive so how can she be? She's just his cursed body..." The girl suddenly stirred and groaned. "And apparently the body has a soul." Tofu whispered. "Come on, let's get them both upstairs. Better make the old woman comfortable, I'll need to have a look at her as well." Kasumi rushed to a closet and came back with two blankets. Ranma and the girl were quickly wrapped in the blankets and carried upstairs. A futon was brought down for Cologne and she was placed carefully on it, and covered as she had begun to shiver. It wasn't particularly cold in the house (though the night outside was a little chilly) but no one knew what else to do. *** Akane sipped her tea quietly and stared into space. Nabiki was beside her at the table, reading a book and apparently unconcerned even after what had happened only a short while ago. Every now and then she would take a cookie from the plate in the center of the table and eat it carefully, never taking her eyes off of her book. Kasumi was in the kitchen baking another batch, and everyone else was upstairs worrying over Ranma. It had been nearly two hours and neither Cologne, Ranma, or Ranma's... other half had awaked. Dr, Tofu insisted that they were perfectly fine, only exhausted as powerful spells tended to drain the energy of those involved. Of course everyone worried anyway. Everyone except Nabiki. She continued to read her book and eat cookies as if nothing at all were wrong. Kasumi came from the kitchen carrying another plate and blinked as she noticed that the one already on the table was only half empty. "Akane, why don't you have some? Dr. Tofu says that Ranma is just fine, so there's no need to worry. I really think you might feel better if... Akane?" Kasumi blinked again and knelt down in front of her sister who didn't seem to have heard a word she had said. She placed the plate on the table beside the other one and waved her hand in front of Akane's face. Akane blinked. "What.. Kasumi? What is it?" "Akane I said you might feel better if you eat something. Ranma's going to be just fine. It won't do any good to sit here and worry like this." "I know." Akane sighed. "But it's not that I'm worried all that much about Ranma. It's... Well, it's his girl half. I mean... Who is she? She can't be Ranma since his guy half is still alive... But if she's alive too, she has to be someone right?" Nabiki looked up from her book. "Maybe not." she said, as she took another cookie. "My guess is that she'll be a new person. Like a baby but without a baby's body." "You mean we'll have to teach her to walk and talk and everything?" Akane asked. "I dunno, it's only a guess," Nabiki said with a shrug. Footsteps were heard on the stairs and Dr Tofu stepped into the room a few moments later. He looked at everyone and smiled. "Ranma's awake." The room was quickly emptied as everyone clambered to their feet and rushed upstairs to the guest room. When they entered, Ranma was sitting up on his futon, rubbing the side of his head. Akane rushed to him and threw her arms around him, hugging him so tightly his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "Ranma, you're awake! I was so worried! How do you feel?" "Well, besides this killer headache I'm also bein' squeezed to death... Could ya let up a little Akane?" Akane frowned. "Well excuse me for caring." Ranma grinned and hugged her back. "Sorry, I'm just not feelin' all that great. Nothin' an aspirin won't cure." He put his hand to his head and closed her eyes tightly to block out the glaring light. After a few moments he slowly opened then and frowned, looking around at everyone in the room. "Did... Did the spell work? Did it cure my curse?" He wondered why everyone suddenly looked so uncomfortable. Finally Doctor Tofu said hesitantly, "Yes, Ranma... It did get rid of the curse. You shouldn't have to worry about turning into a girl anymore." Ranma grinned and gave a triumphant shout, then winced and put a hand to his head as the pain suddenly returned. "Ow... Damn." He continued to rub his head and look at everyone else with a confused expression. "None of you look too happy... What's wrong? Did somethin' happen to the old troll?" "The same thing that happened to you." Tofu said. "She's still sleeping." "So Cologne's okay and my curse is gone... What's wrong then?" He continued to look at everyone, too baffled to be happy that he was finally cured. Dr. Tofu was adjusting his glasses and looked as if he was trying to think of what to say. Beside him, Akane was fidgeting with the edge of her dress and biting her lower lip, and Kasumi was standing with her hands clasped in front of her, looking at the floor. It was Nabiki who spoke first. "Well, it didn't exactly get rid of the curse, it kind of..." "It did eradicate the curse Ranma." Dr. Tofu interrupted, "But in a very unexpected way." Ranma frowned again. "Come on, what happened?" "It will be easier to show you." Tofu answered. "Come with us." Still confused, Ranma got up and followed Dr. Tofu out of the room. Everyone else glanced at each other once before going after them. *** Ranma groaned as he woke and tried to sit up, but immediately regretted it as a wave of pain lanced through his skull. He let his head fall back onto the pillow and took a few deep breaths. The pain began to subside a little. Not much, but enough for him to try sitting up again. This time he succeeded. Looking around, the first thing he noticed was that he was in Kasumi's room, lying in her bed. What was he doing there? The second was that he wasn't dead. Strange to notice that second, but his thoughts were jumbled. So the spell hadn't killed him after all. He would have been immensely relieved if he could think clearly. Damn this headache... The third thing he noticed was that he was a she. How had he gotten into his girl form? Oh yeah, that water Cologne had thrown on him. He must have been too distracted to notice the change. "Great." she muttered aloud. "The spell didn't kill me but it put me through hell and didn't cure me either." With another groan, she lay back down. She considered calling for someone to bring something for her head but the very thought of yelling nearly caused her skull to split, so she just lay quietly and wallowed in her misery as she rubbed her temples and tried to think through the headache. Yet another failed cure. She should have expected it really. After all, none of the others had ever worked. It had been stupid to get her hopes up and even stupider to believe Cologne when she had said that the spell would cure her. The old hag had probably been lying all along. All that stuff about inflicting needless pain for revenge not being honorable. Feh... It was against Ranma's code of honor, that was for sure, but the Amazons had their own idea of honor and she knew from past experience that it was pretty screwy. As she lay there brooding, she heard the door open and saw Dr. Tofu enter the room, followed by Kasumi and several other people. She tried to sit up further so that she could see who they were but the resulting pain in her head caused her to squeeze her eyes shut and lay her head on the pillow once more. "Hey Doc, do you think you could get me somethin' for this headache?" she asked. Dr. Tofu came toward her and knelt down beside the bed. There was a strange expression on his face and he looked extremely nervous for some reason. "Hey, is somethin' wrong? Come on, I can't even open my eyes without my head feelin' like it's gonna explode. Can't you get me somethin'?" The doctor shook his head and muttered, "Ah... Yes, of course. Just a moment." He pressed a point at the base of her skull and the pain in her head subsided, reduced to a fain't, dull ache. She sat up. "Thanks." she said. "Now, what's up? Why are you lookin' so...." She trailed off as she turned to look at him and saw who was standing behind him. Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, Soun, and her parents were standing near the doorway and beside them stood someone she knew very well. Someone who should *not* have been there. Ranma stared at him and he stared right back, neither one sure what to say. No one else seemed to know what to say either. Finally they both blurted at once, "Who are you?" "I'm Ranma," the boy answered. "What I'd like to know is who *you* are." Ranma frowned. "*I'm* Ranma!" The boy just continued to stare. Ranma began to get desperate now. What was going on here? She knew who she was! Whoever this guy was, he wasn't her. "What are you lookin' at?!" She yelled, sitting up further in bed and glaring at the boy who looked like her. "Stop starin' at me like that, I know who I am! Whoever you are, you ain't me!" "Ranma, calm down." Tofu put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back down onto the bed. "Somebody get me some hot water," she grumbled. Tofu sighed. "I'm afraid that won't do you any good." Ranma blinked. "What d'ya mean it won't do any good?" She asked, starting to get angry again. "I want some hot water!" "Listen..." Tofu said, his hand still on her shoulder, "I think I know what's happened here. Both of you are Ranma. The spell didn't exactly cure the curse, it split your body into a male form and your cursed female form. Apparently it did more than just that though. It seems to have split the soul as well. Hot water won't do you any good because the curse no longer exists. You have become two separate people." Ranma blinked and stared at the doctor for a few moments. Then she turned to stare at the boy who wore her face. It was like looking into a mirror, only far stranger. That was her standing across the room. She was looking at a copy of herself, another Ranma. But... what if he wasn't the copy? After all, the male form was the true one and the female form was the cursed one. What if she was the copy? Suddenly she was terrified. "Y... you mean, I'm... I'm stuck like this? And he... he..." She had no idea what to do or say. This wasn't like any of the other times she had been faced with the possibility of being stuck in her female form. This time there was no way to undo it because she wasn't simply stuck. She had been split from her male half. The cure had worked and she was the side effect. She didn't know whether to be sad, angry, afraid, or all three. Unless there was some way to reunite her with her other side, she was going to be like this forever. It didn't help when she saw her father hang his head and walk slowly out of the room. Her mother looked for a moment as if she wanted to say something, but apparently decided not to and turned to follow Genma. Soun looked at Akane who was hovering next to the male Ranma and looking at the girl in the bed like she was a snake ready to strike. He shook his head and patted her on the shoulder. "I'll be downstairs," he said simply. "Ranma are you all right?" Kasumi's concerned voice reached Ranma's ears and she turned to stare at her, still in a daze. "All right? Uh, yeah Kasumi I'm okay... I guess." "Would you like to come downstairs and get something to eat?" "I'm not hungry. I think I'll go back to sleep." "Um... All right but come down when you're feeling better okay?" "Sure..." Ranma said, before lying back down and staring up at the ceiling. Everyone waited in uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes. Finally, when it became obvious that Ranma wasn't going to say anything else, they slowly turned and left. As the door clicked shut behind them, they all looked at each other, no one really knowing what to say. All except Ranma. He was staring at the door as if it were the most horrifying thing he had ever seen in his life. Finally Doctor Tofu spoke. "Well, it's getting late, so I'd better be going. I've examined Cologne and aside from severe exhaustion she's fine. Ranma, you and your... You and the girl had better come to see me tomorrow. I'd like to do a few more examinations just to make sure both of you are all right." Ranma nodded, not even turning to look at the doctor. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay for something to eat doctor?" Kasumi asked. "We all missed dinner and I know you must be hungry." Tofu turned red and his glasses fogged up just a little. "Dinner? Ah... Yes, that's very kind of you..." he shook his head and appeared to regain some control of himself. "That's very kind of you K... Kasumi, but I really should be going." "Perhaps tomorrow then?" Kasumi asked, with a polite smile. "Yes... Tomorrow would be wonderful." "I look forward to it" Kasumi said, still smiling. "Let me show you out." "Out? Oh yes... Out. Going home. Thank you Kasumi, you really are so very kind." As Kasumi and Tofu left, Akane turned to Ranma. "Ranma are you okay?" He turned to look at her, a strange expression on his face. "I dunno Akane. I mean... She's me... It's..." "I know." Akane whispered. "It's strange." Ranma shook his head. "Not just that. What... what are we gonna do with her? She... she's gonna hate me. She *is* me. And she's stuck like that..." Akane turned to look at the door as well, feeling more than a little scared. That was Ranma in there... But this was Ranma here with her. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't get the idea completely out of her head that the Ranma that stood beside her was the real one and the one in Kasumi's bed was only a copy. She knew it wasn't true, but her mind refused to let go of the idea. Two of one person was just too weird of a concept for her to accept. Her brain forced her to latch onto this Ranma because while he was cursed she had known the male half to be his real one. It was all just too strange... Not at all like the time Happosai had called up that evil Ranma clone. She'd seen the eyes of the girl in Kasumi's bed. She was just as much Ranma Saotome as the person standing beside her. "I wish I knew what to say," she said, shaking her head. *** Ranma huddled under the blankets in Kasumi's bed, staring at the closed door and listening to the muffled voices of her double and Akane. She'd known there would be some risk involved when she decided to chance the spell, but this... Hearing them talk about her like that was more than she could take. That should be her out there. She vividly remembered holding Akane close just before stepping into the symbol. The way she had felt... She would probably never hold her like that again. Never. And what was worse, she was not only losing her fiancee but she was losing her to her own double. What was she going to do? Could she even continue to live here? How would she be able to endure seeing her other self marry Akane and start a life with her while she was left behind? What would her father think of her? Her mother? Was she really even Ranma or was she just a copy made to fill this discarded body? She lay quietly, still staring at the door, though the voices had stopped some time ago. Her stomach rumbled and she realized that she was hungry but she didn't dare go downstairs. That would mean facing him and she wasn't ready for that. She didn't think she would ever be ready for that. She tried to fight back the tears but finally gave in to them. The world was suddenly a very scary place. *** Shadows whirled about, grasping for handholds, but finding none. Colors swirled, dipped, dived, and wove themselves into wonderfully intricate ribbons of invisible light before falling away suddenly into nothingness. Everywhere, little mishaps were beginning to occur... For someone had disturbed the balance. Somewhere in the infinitely massive and oh-so-ancient machine, something had gone wrong. A gear had rusted, or a cog had fallen out of place; a spring had snapped, or a pulley had finally given way from too much stress. It was only a minor problem, whatever it was, but it was throwing a good portion of certain areas into complete disorder. The machine wouldn't have survived as long as it had, though, if it couldn't look after itself a bit. And so it set about making repairs. (End of chapter 1)