A Ranma ½ fanfiction by Tangent

Pre-reading and editing assistance by:

Fire

Lord Talon;

Nevrmore;

And some guy named Steve

Originally derived from ‘Hated’ by Fire, who has graciously consented to allow me to continue the story in my own manner. Some minor editing exists, but mostly in format and the occasional grammar error. I also corrected what I viewed as continuity errors, such as references to Miss Hinako and the Contrary Jewel, which didn’t occur until much later in cannon (manga or anime). Otherwise this first chapter differs only a little from the first chapter of ‘Hated’.

DISCLAIMER: ‘Ranma ½’ and all characters therein belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogagukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. The original version of ‘Hated’ was thought up and written by Fire. This fanfic has been produced for my own enjoyment and to pass on without profit. Other characters that come into play in this fanfic may or may not be pulled from other sources (including other fanficts, RPGs, manga, anime, literature, or possibly even *GASP* American comic books!).

A WORD FROM FIRE: This takes place shortly after Ranma defeated Happosai with the Hiryuu Shoten Ha. At this point, Ryoga is still under the illusion that Ranma forced himself upon Akane. Ranma had claimed this to infuriate Ryoga sufficiently that he would be able to do the training needed for the Hiryuu Shoten Ha. A few days have passed since the battle in the schoolyard. Happosai is still really mad about the beating that Ranma gave him, and at the loss of his "pretties" which Ranma destroyed in vengeance. Meanwhile, no one remembered to clear up the little misunderstanding with Ryoga since he wandered off, and always wants to kill Ranma anyway...

CHAPTER ONE:

"Happosai said you would come here. Four days I have waited. Four days just to make sure that you would be brought to justice."

Ranma grinned at the lost boy. "Well, if you think that you're good enough to take me on, let’s get to it." He dropped into a battle stance and waited for Ryoga to attack.

Ryoga just stood there, one hand in his pocket, the other brushing some of the windblown hair from his eyes. "Not this time, Ranma. This time I really am going to punish you for your crimes. Happosai gave me just what I needed too..."

Ryoga whipped his hand from his pocket, waved a jeweled broach at Ranma, and recited the spell that he had memorized over the past four days: "For your crimes, I banish and bind you. I send you to a world where those who know you detest your presence. I send you to a world where your very name is blight. I send you to a world where I do not exist so you cannot torture me anymore. Saotome Ranma: be gone!"

Stunned by what his old rival was saying, Ranma did not try to move. When he saw swirls of black coming out of the broach, Ranma dodged, moving to the side. For a few moments the blackness got larger, only to suddenly vanish before it could do anything to touch him. Ranma looked around startled. "Feh! That fool Happosai, always messing with things he doesn't know. Now he's gone and disappeared Ryoga."

Ranma headed off to his favorite bridge. He'd had a really big argument with Akane today, and did not need any more trouble. Looking in to the water, Ranma sighed and wondered what it was that he did this time to make the tomboy so angry.

When the sun started to go down, Ranma figured it would be time for some food. Better not go back home yet. Akane said she was going to be cooking. Maybe he could sneak in later tonight, but doing so now was a bad idea. Figuring the Nekohanten would be the best bet, Ranma headed off for his usual haunt. All the way there something called at the back of his mind. His senses whispering that something was not right. Something was amiss. Whatever it was, he could not pin it down, so when he saw the cafe he dismissed it.

He had just pushed open the door when he heard an anguished scream and saw Mousse charging him. Ranma leapt out the still open door and faced Mousse. When Mousse ran out the door he stumbled to a halt. The fiend Saotome was across the street? How did he move so fast? Gripping several shuriken in each hand, Mousse began to circle towards his foe. "How dare you come here! Again you show your true cowardice. Instead of being in China facing the Council, you would harass Shampoo now! I call you a coward and a dog, Saotome!"

Ranma stumbled to a halt. He still watched Mousse, but something in his words caught his attention. Mousse usually hated him for trying to take away his beloved Shampoo, but he had never called Ranma a coward before. He was just about to retort, something witty and intelligent like 'well, at least I can see, duck boy' when Shampoo came out of the restaurant. She could sort this out.

"Shampoo never be wife to killer like you!" She leveled her bonbori at him and spat at his feet. "No care what tricks you try and use, Shampoo die before she be Saotome wife!"

Ranma staggered to a halt. There was something seriously wrong here. Why did she suddenly hate him? "Hey, Shampoo, if it's something I did, just tell me."

That only seemed to make them madder. Mousse flicked out his six throwing stars and grabbed a pair of daggers. Even though he was looking at Shampoo, Ranma caught four of the stars and jumped over the other two. He wandered up to her and tried to see if it was the same Shampoo he knew. This was made a bit difficult by the fact that she was trying to brain him with her weapons. He was beginning to feel fairly sure that it was her when he realized it could not be. The Shampoo that he knew always went as hard as possible in a fight, she never gave any quarter. This girl seemed to be much worse than the one that he was familiar with. Not only that, but she was having a hard time moving the bonbori in the usual fluid grace that Shampoo had. She made these ones look like they were the weighty weapons they should be rather than the light show pieces that they never were.

He was just stepping back from trying to get a good look at her face when Mouse threw both daggers at him. Catching them, he did a flip to cover the distance between his attackers. Standing nose to nose with Mousse, he span a dagger on each index finger. "Come on, Mousse. You can do better than that." Indeed, Mousse was much slower than he remembered, actually taking the time to prepare his weapons for use, rather than pull them out on a whim all ready to use.

He smiled when Mousse opened his robe and brought out a pair of katanas. [Better watch that, he must have something big planned]. Mousse began to do an intricate sword kata in front of him, creating a wall of steel. If Ranma wanted to attack him, he would be sure to suffer a hit. "Hey, Shampoo, does this mean no free Ramen?"

Shampoo snarled and lunged, trying to pin him between two foes. Ranma shot up into the air, over Mousse and landed behind him. With a kick to the seat of the pants he pushed the two together, Mousse barely managing to spare Shampoo from his blades. "I can see this probably is not the best time to talk. I'll drop by later."

Snarling, the two Chinese watched him jog down the road. "Don't worry, Shampoo. When Cologne returns, she'll give us permission to hunt him to the ends of the earth. To break a conclave while under truce is punishable by death. You'll never have to marry him now."

Shampoo placed a hand on his shoulder and looked after the departing form. "Good. Shampoo always think evil Saotome a tricky killer. Never realized he this good. Might be hard to kill in proper combat."

Mousse laughed at that one. "I don't care how good he his. With this many people wanting to kill him, he’ll go down quickly enough."

As he headed back into the cafe, Shampoo snagged his arm. "Mousse, how evil Saotome able to leap over you?"

* * *

Ranma was almost home when it struck him. No damage. That was what was wrong. He looked around. Everything was in perfect condition. Well, it was as worn as you would expect a city to be, but there were no signs of recent repair. No craters in the roads or walls. No fist or mallet (or head) marks in the signs and walls.

Feeling a little bit more nervous, Ranma took a quick jog to school. It was perfect. The walls weren't destroyed. Most of the windows looked at least a week old. Some of them were even dirty, and he never knew of a window in Furinkan which lasted long enough to get dirty. Even those trees which Kuno and Ryoga had chopped down while attacking him were there.

Ranma felt a chill up his spine. What was it Ryoga had said when he waved that thing? ' I send you to a world where those who know you detest your presence'. If people hated him here, then he could have a real problem. In times like this, there was one person who he could turn to. One person that would look beyond something as superficial as personality or past actions. Someone who did not mind what crimes he had committed if he went to her for help. The one person who would treat him the same in any world in any situation: Nabiki. If he had the yen, she could help.

It was full dark when he arrived at the Tendo training hall. Well, even if Ryoga had sent him away, everyone so far seemed to be in the right place. Ranma just hoped that he wasn’t in there too. He wandered in the gate and prepared to knock on the door. Before he did, he checked his money. He had been intending to get some new clothes, he needed a couple of new outfits after the training with Cologne and the fight against Happosai. Since that may be all he had in the world, he thought that he ought to try and go easy on it.

Ranma knocked, then waited till the door opened. It was Nabiki, perfect. She looked at him intently. He looked at her. Eventually he broke the deadlock and spoke. "Do you know who I am?"

"No. Should I?"

"I'm not sure about that at the moment. Are you still in the business of selling information?"

Nabiki got a predatory grin. "You could say that. Who are you and what do you want to know?"

Ranma looked around. "Do you mind if we take a quick walk? I'd rather not stand in the doorway all night."

Nabiki smiled at him then yelled out to her sisters that she was going for a walk around the house. Taking the good-looking young man by the arm she moved around to the back of the house. Inside, Akane peered though a crack in the door. Wow, Nabiki had a boyfriend. She hoped he visited again, Nabiki had a hard time getting new friends.

When they were in the side yard, Ranma leapt onto a rock around the Koi pond, sat and looked at Nabiki. "OK, Nabiki. I need some information, but I'm not sure what questions I can ask until I get some of the answers. How do you want to do this?"

Nabiki shook her head and tried to get a grip on herself. This hunk of a man had just done a standing leap across five meters of Koi pond only to land seated on a precarious rock. Now he spoke to her again. Shaking her head, she asked him to repeat himself. "All right, how about you ask a question, then I offer a price. We can negotiate on that basis. If I can see your money first."

Ranma showed his money. It was not a fortune, but if he did not want family secrets, it would do for a while. "OK, Nabiki. What can you tell me about the Saotomes?"

Nabiki grimaced. "Business or pleasure? If you’re trying to hire them, get out now. If you want revenge, come inside and have some tea."

Ranma was stunned. People really did not like him. "Definitely not business. I don't even know what they do. It's more of a... family problem."

Nabiki chewed on that for a moment. "I suppose that will do. Come on in. Being a decent hostess is the least I can do for anyone who isn't a friend of theirs."

Nabiki headed into the house, but pull up short when she saw the boy had not moved. "Nabiki, is there anyone else in there which knows them?"

"No. Dad’s off in China settling a debt with them. Kasumi saw them once, but that was years ago. Now come on."

Ranma decided to chance it. Even if everyone hated him, perhaps he would be able to fool Kasumi; people can change appearance in a few years. Again he leaped over to Nabiki's side. "I've just got to warn you about one thing. My name's Ranma."

Nabiki sharply inhaled her breath. Backing away she began to dig into her blouse for something, eventually pulling out a knife. She started to call for him to stay back when he realised his mistake. "No, no, it's not like that. I really don't think that I'm related to the Saotomes that caused you these problems. And I sure ain't gunna hurt you. So calm down. I just thought I better warn you before we got inside."

Nabiki did calm. It made sense really. She knew that Ranma Saotome liked to play with his victims, especially the girls, but few people would be game to try anything at the Tendo residence. Especially with Kasumi and Akane there. Putting the knife back inside her shirt, she

led him inside and sat him at the table while she gathered her sisters and some tea.

When they all arrived, Ranma was glad to see Akane looking so well. She even gave him a small smile then blushed. Ranma was shocked. He had never seen her blush before. For that matter, it was nice to see her smile and not be on the receiving end of a mallet. What came as a really shock was when Kasumi came in carrying the tea set while wearing a blindfold.

"Hey, Kasumi, let me help you with that. Is there something wrong with you eyes? Should I get Dr. Tofu?"

Kasumi nodded in his direction. How did he know her name? "That's very kind of you, but no thank you. I have been blind for several years."

Immediately realizing that his ability to put his foot in his mouth was reaching new heights, Ranma sat silently was the tea was poured and they began to drink. When everyone was ready for conversation, Nabiki braced her sisters for the similarity in names, and then introduced Ranma. Akane looked a bit angry, but Kasumi smiled sweetly. Ranma marveled: even with a piece of cloth tied around her blind eyes, she was still the beautiful, composed and caring mother-substitute he had come to love. "I realize it couldn't be him, Nabiki. His voice is similar to Saotome's, but this Ranma has a nice voice. It's full of friendship and compassion. Trust me, I'll never forget the way he laughed when he did this to me."

Ranma coughed into his tea. He did that to Kasumi?! He’d kill that bastard version of himself when he saw him. No one did that to Kasumi and got away with it. Not even him!

Nabiki saw her guests enraged reaction. "Sorry, Ranma. I guess you didn't know about our history with the Saotomes. Since you seem to like them as much as I do, this ones on the house."

Nabiki paused for a moment to sip her tea. "Where should I start? Let's see. Sixteen years ago, Genma and Nodoka Saotome have a child named Ranma. Nodoka wanted Ranma trained in the Anything Goes School under the Tendos as a peace keeping gesture between out clans, but Genma disagreed, sometimes quite violently according to reports and rumors. When Ranma is five, his mother dies under mysterious circumstances." Nabiki noted Ranma’s darkening expression and clenched fists. He is obviously restraining himself from some sort of furious outburst, perhaps a normal reaction of a stranger to Nodoka’s fate but somehow Nabiki didn’t think that was the case.

"Ranma’s father takes him and has him trained in the Arts of Ninjitsu. Since the age of twelve, Ranma and Genma have been assassins par excellence. Six months ago they returned from a mission to China. Since then we have had a Chinese family move here to follow them. I kind of gather that Ranma and Genma moved here to avoid some legal problem where they were."

"Apparently our families have had a grudge going back twenty years or so... something to do with daddy's Martial Arts master. Whatever it was, ten years ago, Genma killed.... killed... killed our mother." Nabiki broke down and sobbed for a few moments, causing Kasumi to move closer and comfort her. Ranma’s response, a whitening of his knuckles as his fists clenched tighter, went unnoticed by the sistes.

Akane continued the story. "Three years ago, Ranma, err, Saotome came back to help his father continue to repay their 'debt'. He drugged everyone, then tied up daddy and made him watch. The three of us were blindfolded, but Kasumi's came loose. So he blinded Kasumi, and Nabiki, well..." Nabiki waved shakily at him with both hands. A thumb and three fingers were on each, with only faded scars showing where her pinkies once were. Ranma paled. Slowly he looked at Akane and counted her fingers. She had all of them.

"Did... did he do anything to... to you?" Ranma asked, dreading whatever answer he might get in return.

Akane dropped her head and looked at the table. She was saved from answering by the sound of the phone. Akane dashed off to answer it. Nabiki favored Ranma with a hard look. "That's not for sale. Don't ask."

Incredibly Ranma went even paler, and a thin trail of blood leaked from within his fists, where his fingernails now cut into his palms. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Not Akane. He couldn't do that. Somehow he might return to where he came from, he would have to see Happosai about that, but until then, he'd be damned if he let that other Ranma live a moment longer than necessary. NO-ONE did that to Akane and got away with it. "I'm gunna kill that bastard. I've never wanted to kill anyone before, but for him, I'll make an exception." His voice came out as a deep growl, almost feline in nature

Nabiki stared at him. She could almost swear that there was a blue glow coming off him, and his eyes seemed to almost shine with a cat-like quality. But that was impossible without some utterance or gesture of a spell, so it must be a trick of the light. Akane returned and placed a sheathed sword on the table in front of Kasumi. "That was Shampoo. She says that Ra... Saotome is back in Nerima. Apparently he's came over there to force her into marriage again."

Ranma banged his fist on the table, an act that left a visible crack in the cedar. "When I catch that sorry... Err, if he's this hotshot ninja, will you girls be OK?" His sudden change from outrage to open concern for their welfare seemed to relieve the tension that the sisters were feeling.

Nabiki smiled. "Thanks for asking, Ranma, you really are a gentleman. We should be fine."

"Should be…" Ranma brooded for a moment. "That's not good enough. Listen, I know we've just met, but... would you mind if I stayed in the dojo? I'd like to be near in case he does try anything."

The girls looked at each other. Having a strange boy on their property did not really appeal to them. Having Ranma Saotome back in Nerima when everyone thought he was in China was even worse. This Ranma seemed a bit strange, scary even, but paradoxically each of them felt extraordinarily safe in his presence even when he was at his scariest. More like he was some sort of guardian avatar rather than the cruel epitome of evil that the other had been to them. Looking to Akane for the final approval, they finally nodded OK. Akane herself made the offer: "All right. But no coming into the house during the night unless you hear us screaming. And if you do come in, I expect you to yell enough to wake everyone up. I have an aversion to people sneaking around."

That settled, Ranma wandered up to the guest-room with Nabiki and Akane to get some blankets. "So, Akane. I see the sign out the front still says Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Has Mr. Tendo been teaching you?"

Akane smiled, making his heart leap. "Yes. Currently I'm the women's free-style Martial Arts Champion in Nerima. Next year I'm going to be competing for the Tokyo title. Why, do you train?"

"You could say that…"

"Well, would you like a match?"

"Feh! Just so long as you don't mind losing to a guy."

Akane laughed and nodded. Ranma grabbed the blankets and jumped out the window. The girls dashed over and saw him sprinting for the dojo, jumping rocks in the dark as though this was his own home.

"I always thought the stairs were a good way to get down," Nabiki made the observation with a dryness that she really wasn’t feeling. "Hey, Akane. I think this guy is good to have around. I haven't seen you smile or laugh so much in years."

Akane winced a bit. "I still don't like men, but... I guess he could grow on you."

The three sisters went out to the dojo. Nabiki was just there to watch. Hopefully he would take off his shirt when he fought. She could see he was well built, and he would definitely look better without a shirt. Probably look better without pants too... Kasumi was there as moral support. She might not be able to watch, but her training let her track fighters easily with sound.

After Akane warmed up, they fought. Kasumi could tell there was something wrong immediately. She could hear Akane's footsteps, and she could hear her moving, but from Ranma there was scarcely a sound. When she concentrated, she could hear his regular breathing, but that was all. Whatever he was doing, it was not fighting.

Nabiki was as concerned as Kasumi, but for different reasons. She knew Akane was good. She had watched her fight in many tournaments. Akane could flatten most girls with one punch, and she was fast enough to be able to carry the fight to the best of them. Ranma on the other hand, hardly seemed to pay her any attention. He just stood there, bending, bobbing and weaving. When Akane started using more sweeping attacks, he hopped over them, or stepped back, all with perfect grace and poise.

"You’re better than I was expecting, Akane."

"Will you stand still and let me hit you!?"

"Oh, come on, a slow-poke like you couldn't even catch a bus. Keep trying."

This went on for a while, until Ranma hopped over one of her attacks and reached over gently poked a finger to her forehead. "An opening!"

Akane stopped and stood puffing. Ranma bowed to her. "Well done Akane. Your technique’s much better."

"What do you mean better?"

"I... err.... Just that you must be a lot better for having studied with your father than I was expecting for someone our age..."

Nabiki eyed Ranma. Something seemed a bit wrong, but she could not place it. "So Ranma, do you have a last name?"

Ranma started to reply then hesitated. "No. Not anymore. I did a while ago, but... but I can no longer be a part of the family I once had. And yes, there was someone I lo- umm… liked a lot, but... but I think she might be gone too." Not that he and his Akane got along all that well, but he did find himself missing her.

Everyone was silent for a while at that one. When thunder rumbled in the distance, Kasumi stood up. "Thank you for offering to stay and protect us. I am sure father will appreciate it. We will see you in the morning."

As the sisters entered the house, Nabiki reset the wards that protected the Tendo estate. A few more activated seemed to be a reasonable expense, given the news that Ranma Saotome was back in Nerima. And perhaps another active layer around the Dojo as well. It wouldn’t do for their guest to be murdered, after all – or to turn out to actually be a murderer. She honestly didn’t know why they were even trusting the boy this far, but she certainly wasn’t going to drop her guard any further…

After they left, Ranma lay down to sleep. Apparently Ryoga had been successful, as odd as that seemed. He was somewhere that everyone hated his name. Hated his face even. However, they did not hate him specifically, only his counterpart. He did not do the things the other Ranma had. Someday he would return to his own world, he hoped. Before then, though, he would make that bastard copy of himself pay for what he did to Akane, to the Tendos, to his mother, to Shampoo, to everyone. Despite his brooding anger, worry and concern, he drifted off to sleep with the endless drone of rain beating off of the dojo...

The sound of Akane screaming dragged him from his bed. Out the door in a heart-beat, Ranma neglected to notice the change that the rain brought her as she sprinted around the corner of the house for Akane’s window, her internal clock said it was about three in the morning. Remembering what Nabiki had cautioned her about during the evening, she began to shout. "Nabiki! Kasumi! Wake up! Wake up!"

In a single hop she was on Akane’s window-sill, opening the locked fixture with practiced ease, just wide enough to enter, in less time than it took to draw another breath. Still calling for the girls, she looked around her room. No one there, and Akane was just starting to sit up. Damn, she had woken everyone for a nightmare. Well, better safe than sorry. Ranma gathered Akane into her arms, trying to calm and comfort her, but was at a loss as to what to do after that…

Nabiki entered behind the sword wielding Kasumi and flicked on the light. Kasumi might be able to function in the dark, but she couldn't. Everyone had woken to the sounds of Akane's screams, only to here other yells only a second later. Looking at the redheaded girl who held her sobbing sister, Nabiki was glad she brought her knife. Anyone who could slip into the house without disturbing the wards was, by definition, dangerous. Then again, why was the redhead rocking Akane and trying to comfort her? "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm Ranma, remember? I heard Akane screaming, but there was no-one here."

Kasumi could instantly spot the girls voice, and placed her sword towards her. "Ranma is a boy. Answer if you value your life."

Ranma looked down at herself and groaned. "Sorry about this. I forgot you didn't know. I'm cursed. I change sex in cold water."

Nabiki crossed to the bed and prized Akane from the strange girl’s arms. "Bullshit. Kasumi, take this girl downstairs. I be there as soon as I calm down Akane."

At sword point, Ranma descended. When she reached the bottom, he turned to Kasumi. "Do you want some tea while we're waiting?"

Kasumi held her feelings of hospitality in check. This girl was an invader and had probably attacked her sister. She could wait without tea. "I'm not taking my hands off this sword until you're out of here."

A few minutes later a composed Akane accompanied her sister down to the living room. When she got there, she admired the girl. She was very cute, even if a trifle damp from the rain still. "Kasumi, it was just a nightmare. After I started screaming, I... I felt her holding me. I... I just kept hearing Saotome... and fe-fealing… what he did to me… all over again. Thank you for your help, but who are you?"

Ranma sighed again. "I told you, I'm Ranma, the guy that was in the dojo. I've got a curse that changes me into a girl. Look, Nabiki, could you get me some hot water please?"

Nabiki prodded the girl in the chest. "She certainly seems like a girl to me. I really don't think they're fakes. Could be Ranma was a girl in disguise, but I don't see why."

"ARRRG! Will someone get me some hot water, or will I get it myself?"

Kasumi: "Move and you lose your head."

Nabiki: "What do you need hot water for?"

Akane: "How did you get in my window?"

"IT'S TO REVERSE MY CURSE! Forget it, I'll serve myself!"

Rolling backwards, Ranma sprang to her feet, moving under Kasumi's sword strike. In a moment she was headed for the kitchen, and Akane and Kasumi were following. Even as Kasumi swung at her, she moved to the correct cupboard and grabbed a familiar yellow kettle. While she filled the kettle, she parried Kasumi's swift attacks with one hand. Every cut or stroke Kasumi made, the girl would tap the flat of the blade with her bare hands and deflect it. Akane watched in amazement. Even to attempt such a thing was a joke, but to succeed was beyond incredible.

When the kettle was filled and on the stove, the girl turned her full attention to Kasumi. "It's not nice to play with sharp toys, Kasumi. Someone, even me, could get hurt."

Faster then anyone could see – or sense, in Kasumi’s case - she reached out and pulled the sword from Kasumi's hands. Placing it on the bench behind her, she sighed and looked at Akane. "You tried to hit me this evening, and you couldn't. Do you want to try again, or can we wait for the water to heat?"

The girls growled but relented. The kitchen exit was blocked, but if she wanted to get out, she could have done it long ago. Eventually the girl pulled the kettle off the stove and poured water over her head. Kasumi heard her sisters fall to the floor, and took a fighting stance. She could not hear any new attackers. Then Ranma spoke. "I warned 'em what to expect, and still they faint."

"Oh, Ranma-kun. When did you get here? Did you see a girl leaving?"

"Damn, sorry Kasumi, I forgot you couldn't see me change. Give me your hand for a second. OK, feel it? That's my chest. Now I’ll pour some cold water. Do you get it?"

Under her hand, she felt her point of contact lower by several inches, and swell into the soft firmness of a girl’s breast. At the same time, the voice rose in pitch. Unmistakably, Ranma had changed into the girl they had been talking to.

"Oh my."

The sun was shining when Ranma finally managed to convince the Tendo girls and to explain what had happened about his curse. Nabiki was cynically refusing to believe in shape-changing magic curses, as no magic she ever heard of allowed continuous and instant fluctuation of form after the initial effect, curse or otherwise. And certainly not without some sort of accompanying pain. The fastest metamorphosis on record took place in just under five minutes, and the poor fellow had passed out from the agony of such a rapid shift in physiology. Yet here was Ranma, changing back and forth almost instantly with the application of hot or cold water, never once complaining of even the slightest discomfort. Unfortunately, she was having a hard time coming up with a better explanation than a magical curse.

Akane sat there for a while, then got permission to try for herself. After a while she got the hang of it, and spent almost three hours changing him from one sex to another as quickly as water could heat. "I could get to enjoy this!"

"I’m sure you would," Ranma responded dryly, remembering back to when Ukyo had responded similarly to discovering his curse. Granted, he was accepting their behavior towards him with better grace this time, largely because he realized that they weren’t entirely comfortable with him. If this is what it took to ease their mind, they could change him as often as they needed too…

When Kasumi began to place breakfast items on the table, Akane ceased playing with her gender-changing toy. Ranma watched her as she took the kettles and buckets away, she was much quieter and gentler than the Akane she knew. For that matter, despite what she had said last night, she was also a lot slower than the Akane she knew. Her tomboy was fast and strong. This girl had much better technique, but Ranma honestly believed that she wouldn't last the warm up against the Akane he knew.

Ranma joined them at the breakfast table and noticed something when reaching for the food. She was still a she. Moving her hand, he grabbed the tea kettle and prepared for a very hot transformation. "Ranma-kun, would you mind not changing? Akane gets a bit nervous sometimes. I suspect that she just wanted to have a friendly girl around for a while. Will you be going to school?"

That one stopped Ranma for a bit. To school or not to school? Sighing she realized that school probably was necessary. For that matter, if she kept up studying, her teachers wouldn't get on her case too much when she returned. "Hmm, you could be right Kasumi. I think I'd better go to school. For that matter, it might be better if I went as a girl. It might make things a bit... easier for a while. Say! Will you be all right if we go off to school. I know you've got the sword and everything, but what if Saotome comes here?"

Kasumi laughed. It was a beautiful sound. So full of life and happiness, just the sound to fill the emptiness created by such unpleasant thoughts. "Don't worry, Ranma-kun. I'll head off the same time as you kids, and spend the day with my fiancee."

Ranma sat spell bound as Kasumi wiggled her fingers at her. On one hand she had a gold engagement ring, with quite a large diamond. "Err... Kasumi... I... I didn't realize. Is... is it Dr. Tofu?"

Kasumi gave her patented smile and laughed happily again. "Of course it is Ranma-kun. Do you know Dr. Tofu? He so lovely, always so kind. There's really no-one like him."

Ranma chuckled a little. "Oh, I'm not sure that's right, Kasumi. I can think of one person who's every bit as nice as Dr. Tofu, and the lucky man happens to be marrying her."

Kasumi blushed and the two packed away the dishes in a contented silence. Kasumi would wash, and Ranma put them away while they waited for Akane and Nabiki to get ready for school. In a few minutes the kitchen was sparkling clean again. When the four headed off for school (and Tofu's, which was along the route) Kasumi pondered Ranma. She seemed so nice, but several things just did not fit. Firstly, she seemed to know them all well. She knew Akane's skill, she knew Nabiki's habits of selling information. She also put away every plate and glass without hesitation, and that meant that she knew her kitchen. Ranma knew just a little bit too much for her to be comfortable.

On top of that, despite the fact that she had reacted with much better grace that her sisters had to Ranma’s ‘curse’, Kasumi knew full well the medical reasons why rapid metamorphosis caused pain in those who indulged in it. What Ranma had done was no illusion – while illusions could be touched, they had to be seen to be effective, which made Kasumi immune to them. Either Ranma had a tolerance of pain that was quite simply beyond all human norms, or her ‘curse’ didn’t hurt at all…

Kasumi was just about to separate from the group to see her fiancee when Ranma spoke up. "I've been thinking. Since everyone here seems to jump at the name Ranma, perhaps we should try something I usually do when I'm in my cursed form. Maybe Ranko, or perhaps Yoiko…"

Nabiki and Kasumi were not very keen. They both had alarm bells ringing about this Ranma. Something just did not add up. If Ranma Saotome was back in Nerima, then there was the possibility that this was him, playing one of his little games. Nabiki had never heard of a spell which could change someone's sex so easily... but stranger things had occurred.

Akane, on the other hand, was over the moon. She immediately latched onto Ranma's arm and batted her eyes at her. "Oh, I like Ranko! You really are a wild child! Hey, after school you want to come back to the dojo? We could do some sparing again. I'm sure that there's lots you could teach me, you were so good!"

‘Ranko’ looked distinctly nervous, and Nabiki and Kasumi just frowned. Their sister could be a bit thick some times, and it looked like this was one of them. ‘Ranko’ definitely was the sort of friend which Akane favored, and Nabiki was just a little bit sad that she would not be able to have that strong body of his. However, she knew what father would say. If Ranma was half boy, and Akane liked him, Father would start booking a wedding before the dust could settle.

After a moment, she knocked herself on the head, reminding herself that she didn’t trust this strange girl. Why was she suddenly so enamored for her male version? It didn’t make any sense!

As they continued on to school, Akane held Ranko's hand and explained about their school and the strange Principle they had. He was a bit obsessive about haircuts, and had a few strange ideas about running a school, but all in all it was a nice enough place to study. They had almost reached the school gates when they saw a crowd of boys. Akane released Ranko's hand, and charged into the attacking fray.

Ranko turned to Nabiki in shock. In her world, these fights had ended within days of her arrival, and she had mostly forgotten them. Looking at Nabiki, she struggled to put her surprise into words. Nabiki took pity on the neo-girl and led her around the fight. "Yes, this happens every morning. Gosunkugi decreed that anyone who wanted to date Akane had to defeat her in combat. After all Akane's been through, you'd think he could be a bit more tolerant, but that guy's so obsessed he couldn’t see anything other than himself."

Ranko could barely believe her ears. "Go... Gosunkugi!? Gosunkugi told people to do this... and they did it?"

"Yeah. Makes you sick, doesn't it? But still, everyone's afraid of him, so they sort of follow his orders."

Akane was finished, so they walked over to her and headed for the school building. "I don't believe it. People are afraid of Gosunkugi?"

"Sure, no one can defeat him, and no-one comes anywhere near him in power. He's probably the strongest mage in Nerima!"

When Ranko collapsed in shock, Akane carried her into class. Nabiki wandered off thoughtfully. What they said was true. Gos-kun was the best. He might not be as rich as Kuno-chan, but he had lots of potential. A talented mage could have the world as his oyster, especially if he had someone to guide him. Then again, the best way to deal with Ranko may be to have someone with a little magical experience have a look at that 'curse' of his. Perhaps a word in Gosunkugi's ear...

Akane and Ranko were out in the grounds eating lunch when Gosunkugi walked up. He looked the same as Ranko remembered, but then, her Gosunkugi could not even command the respect of the cockroaches, let alone command the sorts of power that Akane had told her about. Gosunkugi on the other hand was thoroughly unimpressed by Ranko. She looked like a Martial Artist, and he had not been beaten in a fight since Elementary School when his powers first manifested. Adjusting his vision to look in the magical and etheric planes, Gosunkugi could not detect any sort of magic around Ranko. She showed signs of having magically blessed... but most of the usual magical fluxes were not present. If Nabiki had seen anyone other than Ranko, it must have been an illusion spell cast at the time.

Nice enough looking, but Nabiki had expressed a concern that her sister was falling for this stranger. As always, Gosenkugi refused to come to terms with Akane’s interest in girls, or the reasons why her interests lay that way. While they appeared innocent enough, just sitting together like friends, Nabiki was seldom wrong when it came to reading people’s motives. It had to be better with her own family, right?

"So, it is true! You have decided to mock my word and date with the lovely Tendo Akane. Despite the fact that you are a member of the fairer sex, you are still bound by my commands! Even more so, since you would attempt to pervert this innocent girl with your strange desires. No! If you would date with her, you must beat her in combat!"

Ranko just looked a t Gosenkugi through half-lidded eyes, thoroughly unimpressed. "I did."

Gosunkugi turned beet root purple in rage. "You claim that you could be someone as good as my flower? Very well, you must also beat me before I would accept your advances on her!"

"'Scuse me Akane. This will only take a moment."

Even as Akane protested, Ranko stood up, then launched a blow at Gosunkugi. She could see he was a wimp, so she wouldn't go all out. When the blow stopped an inch from his face, Gosunkugi laughed. "Feh! Your pitiful attacks can never penetrate my shield spell! Surrender now and renounce you attempts on Akane's virtue and affections, or face your punishment!"

Ranma snarled and took a fighting stance. Maybe there was some truth to what Akane had said about magic. "You make me sick, Gos. You're worse than Kuno ever was. He wanted Akane because he loved her. You just see her as an object, a toy. Akane's someone special, and I l... I l... I like her, so back off, or your gunna get hurt!"

Neither Akane and Gosunkugi could not quite understand Ranko's references to Kuno. Although he was rich and a talented Kendo fighter, he was still only one of the hordes of boys which wanted Akane. At Ranko declaration of appreciation for Akane, they had quite distinctly different reactions. Akane clasped her hands beneath her chin, and looked like she was in heaven. Gosunkugi looked like he was in hell. To help spread the misery, he summoned a small fireball in

one hand with a rapid utterance of a spell and threw it at Ranko. That should take the fight out of her.

Ranko saw the small orange ball coming for her and leaped straight into the air. The fireball passed underneath her, and exploded against a tree in the distance. When she landed, Ranko sent a series of kicks and punches against Gosunkugi's shield. None of them managed to penetrate, but they knocked him back a step. Watching in the distance, Nabiki went white as a sheet. She wanted Gos-kun to scare Ranko, maybe force her to drop whatever spell she used to change sex.

Instead, it looked like Gos-kun was going to kill her. This wasn’t what she had wanted at all!

This time Gosunkugi summoned two, much larger, fireballs with a harsher invokation, and when he threw them, they also flew faster. Ranko dodged them both, but was singed slightly when she got too close. Moving in, she launched a series of blows that could have shattered a brick wall. Again all she did was knock him back.

They kept this up for a few more passes. By this time, Gosunkugi's shield was starting to weaken from the massive damage it had stopped. In the past, he had helped the police and fought against killers with guns, and even then he had not been as hard pressed as he was now. The girl was an impossible target, even after he had cast a haste spell on himself. No one should be able to move that quickly, and she did this without any sort of magical aura. He did not even want to think how much those blows would have hurt if they contacted. Time to end this once and for all.

A rapid, sing-song and nonsensical utterance later, and a sheet of flame grew up around the mage as he laughed insanely. "Now know true fear! You will never defeat me, since every time you attack, you will only hurt yourself."

Ranko looked around at the crowd that had gathered. Probably a bit too close, but she thought her control was better than when she first tried it... Moving around in a circle, she continued to dodge the lightning and fire that Gosunkugi was throwing. When she reached the inside of her spiral, she screamed and threw her icy punch. "HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!"

Gosunkugi never even saw what was coming. It should have been a physical impossibility to do what this girl did without magic. When she finally struck, the blow did not even land. Instead, he found himself in the center of a massive whirlwind. Sucked up into the air, he was battered and blasted by rocks and sand. When the Rising Dragon Ascension finally ended, he was dropped unceremoniously on the ground from almost sixty meters. His magical shield saved him from death, but he was concussed badly. As he lost consciousness, he marveled at the sheer raw elemental power that Ranko had displayed, all without once emitting any kind of magical aura. Truly another worthy of his greatness…

Ranko walked over to the body on the ground and nudged it with her toe. No movement other than ragged breathing was evident. "I guess that makes me the winner. And I say, Akane can do what she wants, when she wants! Anyone who objects to treating Akane normally, they’re gunna answer to me!"

Everyone was too stunned to answer. Magic was a common class at Furinkan, just like learning another language, only more useful, and it required greater natural talent. Everyone had been required to do a year of magic when they were young: it wouldn't do to miss out on a high-class mage just because they chose they wrong subjects. Over half of the students watching were magically sensitive to one degree or another, and every one of them swore that Gosunkugi was the only person using magic.

It shouldn't be possible to do what Ranko had done without it.

The school was a buzz with rumors and discussion. The two hottest topics were Ranko and Ranko. How did she beat Gosunkugi, and was she Akane's latest friend? Most of the girls knew Akane's disposition, but since she respected them enough to treat them normally when they said no, they respected her enough to remain her friends. All of her close friends knew what Saotome Ranma had done to her, and they brought anyone back into line if they tried to make life difficult for her.

One of Akane's friends, Natsuko, decided to go over to Akane's place that night. If Ranko really was staying in their dojo, it might help the girl if she knew how Akane probably felt, before Akane told her. Not every girl reacted well when another girl told them that they were in love. Natsuko wanted to tell her in class, but Nabiki had come in with the teacher and told Akane and Ranko that they were needed at home.

Akane, Nabiki and Ranko ran home. When Kasumi had called the school, she said that she and Tofu had gone home, and that they should meet them there. Apparently their father had called from China, and wanted to speak to everyone.

END CHAPTER ONE

A WORD FROM TANGENT: From here on out, Polarity will be written by me. I changed the title from Hated, because while Fire has given me permission to continue the story, he still plans to do so himself following a different track than what I outlined to him when I asked. Eventually, I may get around to adding more to this first chapter, rather than just the bits and pieces I already put into this draft of it.

By the way – apologies to Fire. Many of my ‘spelling’ corrections were to Americanize British spellings of common words. Some of the grammar corrections were probably of a similar nature, due more to cultural differences between us rather than inherent inaccuracies in our own writing styles…