"Speech"

'Thought'

X x x x x x

Digging into his locker, Ranma pulled out his shoes, and glanced to his right past several students to Akane who was doing the same thing. It was probably for the best that Akane had stayed at someone's house last night rather than return to the Tendo home. With how Shampoo had clung to him, the only result would have been a fight. He was so engrossed in trying to figure out a way to approach Akane that he didn't catch Hiroshi and Daisuke before they had surrounded him.

"Tell us man, you get anywhere with that girl?"

"I know I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands off of her."

"You can barely keep your hands off yourself." Ranma replied sarcastically wondering why he considered these two to be friends.

"So you can understand my problem with a hot chick like that."

"Sooo－ details man, don't keep us in suspense."

"Nothing happened." He changed his shoes in a flash.

"You're not gay are you?"

"WHAT?" Ranma said far too loudly, drawing the attention of the nearby students. "Uh－ that is to say－ you're wrong."

"So something did happen!"

"It must have been something weird and freaky; I bet Ranma has some weird fetishes."

He had heard enough and lightly smacked both of them in the back of the head. "Nothing－ happened." He simmered. "She's just a crazy girl who needed a place to stay for the night."

"I noticed that you didn't mention sleeping."

"They were too busy for that of course."

Ranma narrowed his eyes at the pair who finally decided that it was a good idea not to poke at him anymore, and ran off to bother someone else. Picking up his bookbag, he headed over to talk to Akane.

"Hey." He greeted, unsure on how to smooth over the issue with Shampoo.

"What is it?" Akane seemed to be in a better mood.

Glancing around to make sure there weren't any eavesdroppers, he continued. "Nothing happened between me and Shampoo, alright?"

"Why would I think there was anything going on?" She asked while fully knowing the answer to that.

Glancing around again, he really didn't want his answer to be overheard. Most of the students had filed towards their classes that would be starting soon, so there the few stragglers were in a rush to do the same. "Clothes don't survive the change. When we got back we were tired, and just passed out on my futon. That was it."

"And I'm supposed to believe that? Don't think I didn't notice you said nothing about what you did out in the woods all night when you were－ whatever it is you are."

"Do you want to know what we did in the woods? Mostly we ran around, we ate a deer, and then we made our way to the house before changing back."

"You ate a deer?" Akane asked while looking at him in horror and disgust. "Raw?"

"Akane, I'm not human remember? And when I change－ things get simpler. Eating a deer is no big thing, just food." He answered with a casual shrug.

"You're serious that nothing happened?" Akane searched his eyes for some sign of lying.

"Nothing."

"Fine－ I guess I overreacted." She admitted.

"It's great that you can admit that you were wrong." Slapping her on the back he laughed, ignoring the vein that appeared on her forehead. "Jumping to weird conclusions all the time can't be healthy and you'll probably get wrinkles soon."

"Idiot!" Akane yelled and hit him.

When the hurting stopped, he found that he had been shoved through a stack of lockers with his head poking out one side, and his feet through the other. Trying to squirm out, he found that he was firmly stuck. "Hey Akane! Little help here?" He called out and received no response. "Stupid violent gorilla tomboy." He grumbled and hung his head.

X x x x x x

With normality restored, the day dragged out normally once he had freed himself from the shoe lockers. The only worry that he really had now was what Shampoo was up to while he was away. She appeared to have settled down greatly since finally allowing herself to change, but he was still wary of her randomly attacking people who might annoy her.

He was returning home after class ended with Akane and making idle conversation. When a strange feeling of dread fell over him. Shaking it off, he entered the Tendo home behind Akane, and after kicking off his shoes decided to lounge in the living room to relax before dinner.

"Woah! What's that thing?" He asked, finding that everyone minus Nabiki were sitting around the table talking to what looked like some shriveled up and shaved monkey. It had white hair as long as the body, human clothing, and giant eyes. Ranma never saw the target of his inquiry move, but he certainly felt the long gnarled staff it had strike him in the side of the head.

"That hurt you old monkey!" He rubbed at the small lump.

"Shampoo tells me you defeated her."

"It can talk!" He exclaimed, earning another hit on the opposite side of the head.

"She is Great-Grandmother Cologne." Shampoo sidled up next to him and introduced.

"Don't you mean great great great great?" He asked the other Lycan and was hit on top of his head this time. "Stop doing that!"

"Hmm, he doesn't seem that strong." Cologne hopped up on her staff and balanced on it.

"I'll show you strong!" He challenged and tried to sweep her perch from underneath her. His foot missed as she easily jumped up and over his attack before leaning in close to his face.

"Are you going to be a man and marry my Shampoo?"

"No you old hag!" Trying to grab her by her bulky clothing, he found nothing but air.

"That's too bad." The old woman's voice came from behind his head.

'She's fast.' Out of instinct he dove forward out into the yard and avoided being stabbed in the back by the point of the staff.

"Decent reflexes." Cologne commented. "Thick in the head though."

Narrowing his eyes, Ranma cracked his knuckles. "Thick in the head?"

"But we can work on that." Cologne nodded before looking at Shampoo. "He'll make a good husband."

"I ain't nobodies husband you old bag." He stormed up to the old woman.

"You could be her bride if you wanted."

"What?" He paused long enough for Cologne to lightly poke him in the center of his chest.

"But you'd still have to produce a child." The old woman cackled madly. "You'll be begging to marry my Shampoo soon enough."

"Yea right." He scoffed, rubbing briefly at the spot where she had poked him.

"Normally I would take off, but I was just discussing use of the spare room here." Cologne hopped off of her staff. "So I'll just walk down the hall."

"Daddy you let that old woman rent out the spare room?" Akane asked Soun for him.

"It's just for the night." The Tendo patriarch answered. (1)

"And she said she would make us all the ramen we could eat while she's here." Genma added, with that clearly being his reason to go along with keeping Shampoo and her ancient relative around. The old panda may even be considering Shampoo's archaic laws for some other reason since he didn't seem to be doing anything to stop it.

"Idiots." Both he and Akane said at the same time.

"Shampoo so happy live now for real with Airen." The bubbly girl glomped on to him.

"Not now Shampoo." He tried to squirm from the girl's grasp.

"Shampoo still want sleep in Airen's bed like did last night."

Ranma froze at that phrasing and turned to Akane. "It's not what it sounds like."

"You－ you－ pervert!" Akane yelled and grabbed the table to flatten him and Shampoo to the floor.

"Why did I want her to start talking to me again?" He groaned.

X x x x x x

"Oh my this looks wonderful." Kasumi gazed in wonder at all the food the elderly Cologne had prepared with Shampoo. She had been wary about letting them have the run of the kitchen for the night, but that seemed to be an unfounded fear.

"Thank you." Cologne responded. "When I finally get cleared to start up my restaurant this is what we'll be serving. Just some old family recipes."

"I don't know if I want anything that old ghoul made." Ranma said rudely while actually eating his bowl along with Genma.

"Sure you don't." Nabiki commented snidely.

"What? I'm hungry." The pigtailed boy whined. "And it's actually good!"

"Shampoo make too special ramen for Airen." The Chinese girl sat down next to Ranma. Kasumi could sense her younger sister's eyes boring into the girl from the adjacent side, and prepared to quickly grab the food should she decide to use the table as a weapon.

"What's special about it?" Ranma asked with noodles hanging from his mouth.

"No be special if told." Shampoo shook a finger disapprovingly and grabbed her own bowl to start eating at a leisurely pace.

"You wouldn't happen to be willing to share the recipe?" Kasumi asked after trying some of her own food. She was being incredibly rude by asking, but compared to how everyone had been acting recently, she felt that she was within bounds.

"Family－ recipes." Cologne stressed and Kasumi let the matter drop. "So Son in law, when did you visit Jusenko?" The elderly woman asked suddenly.

"Why do you want to know?" Ranma asked defensively.

"I just want to know how－ comfortable you are with it?" Colognes large eyes seemed to twinkle with some kind of hidden glee.

"I'm not." Ranma answered, though Kasumi didn't really see how that was possible. Just the other day she had seen the pigtailed teen flirt her way into getting a guy to give her free food. An action that Kasumi thought was absolutely shameless.

"That's really too bad." Cologne commented absently.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ranma demanded.

"Oh nothing." The elderly woman cackled lightly.

"Crazy old ghoul." The black haired teen muttered.

X x x x x x

Sitting on Akane's bed, Ranma penciled in the answer to a math problem before rubbing at his eyes. Akane was sitting at her desk also doing the same assignment. Shampoo had been dragged off by that shriveled old monkey in a smock to do who knows what. He was thankful for the break from Shampoo's attentions. After the events of the past few days he was mentally drained.

'Full moons should only be on the weekend.' Sliding his back down the wall, he closed his eyes to give them a rest.

"Hey Ranma, do you have the answer to sixteen?" Akane drew his attention.

"Here." He handed her his notepad. "I need to take a break anyways."

"Going to find Shampoo?" Akane asked in a joking tone.

"That's the last thing I want to do." As attracted to her as he was, Shampoo was grating on him. Mostly because she was his responsibility. Genma couldn't be expected to explain what being a Lycan meant and the responsibilities that came with it. Hopefully she didn't find reason to go after Akane, all it would take would be a bite, and the youngest Tendo would be eliminated.

"You know, with how badly Shampoo reacted to you being a werewolf, do you think she told Cologne?" Akane asked and he sat up a little straighter.

"Probably not." He replied in a small voice. 'Just what I need, more people after my hide.'

"I'd watch out Ranma, she seemed really good. You couldn't even touch her."

"In a real fight I could take her." He boasted. "Sides, I don't plan to change again until at least the next full moon. So there's no way she could unless Shampoo told her."

"Well if she does, don't destroy the house while she kills you." Akane joked.

"Your room will be first." He slid off the bed. "I'm going to bed."

"But it's only eight thirty."

"I know." He yawned. "Hopefully I can get some good sleep before my old man starts snoring."

"Good plan."

X x x x x x

Ranma woke up the next morning to the sound of rain impacting the roof without having an extra body underneath his futon. He was a little disappointed by that because it did feel nice to be next to Shampoo, especially when she wasn't being clingy. On the other hand, it was nice not having to worry about Akane walking in if they were in a compromising situation.

Hearing his father shift, Ranma opened an eye to look over, and see Genma slowly getting out from underneath his blanket. 'Sneaky old man, I'm not going in that stupid pond today.' Closing his eye, he listened carefully as Genma slid the window open, letting in a cool breeze, and allowing the sound of rain to hit his ears directly. As gently as Genma could, he lifted Ranma up and carried him towards the window before preparing to throw him out. Ranma waited till Genma had started his throw forward before he jumped out of Genma's grasp and grabbed the elder Saotome's arms to throw him instead.

"Not today boy!" Genma grabbed Ranma's own wrists and planting his feet on the outside of the house was able to throw him out into the rain.

"Stupid old man!" He cursed, his voice shifting into it's female state mid-sentence. Landing on the wet grass next to the koi pond, she slipped and fell on her backside. "Gah." Hopping up to her feet, she was glad all she had on was a tank top and boxers because she would be soaked by the time Genma was a black and blue panda. 'That's weird, this rain feels warm－ cept it's cold out.'

#Are you ready boy?# Genma signed to her, the rain having turned him into a panda.

"I'll show you who's ready!" She answered, charging towards him.

Ten minutes later, Ranma trudged inside through the door next to the living room with Genma in tow. 'He's been holding back.' She fumed at her inability to score a decisive victory over him. Grabbing the panda by his fur, she pointed to the floor. "Pandas stay outside until they dry." She smiled toothily.

Cologne hopped on her staff up to the entrance. "I would have to agree with Son in law."

#I'll get a towel# Genma ignored both of them to try stepping inside but was stopped and thrown back with enough force to lightly crack the surrounding wall. Ranma looked at the spot Genma had been in, then to where he was currently lying, then back again.

'What kind of monster is this old lady?' She hadn't even seen Cologne move. One second the old woman was balancing on her staff, the next she was standing on her short legs with the staff extended, and Genma flying through the air.

"Aren't you cold Son in law?" Cologne looked her up and down.

"Nah, actually this rain feels really good." She answered, curious over the old woman's question. "Why?"

"Marry my Shampoo."

"I'm not marrying anybody." She retorted. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Marry Shampoo and I'll answer." Cologne cackled and hopped off.

"Crazy old ghoul." She muttered and glanced back to see Genma starting to lumber to his feet, before heading off to the bath.

As a necessity, she kept a clean pair of clothes in the changing room ever since a week before Ryoga showed up when Kasumi and Nabiki decided to make her play dress up with Akane's ill-fitting clothing. Maybe if they actually fit, and were more her style, she wouldn't mind getting a few outfits that were sized for this body. Just to avoid how huge and bulky his clothing became on her. 'Ya know, shoes that fit would be nice.'

Stripping out of her wet clothing, she removed the cover to the furo, and found that Kasumi had helpfully filled it already. Removing the string keeping her hair braided, she filled up the wash bucket with lukewarm water to wash her hair. 'I can't believe that they let that crazy old mummy stay here.' She shook her head and then winced when some shampoo got in her eyes. (2)

'She must've hit the old man harder than I thought if he's not in here yet.' Ranma didn't think Genma would bother with keeping the floor dry before stumbling in to take a bath. 'Oh well, less panda fur to deal with.' Drying off her hair to get rid of the excess water, she tied it into a simple ponytail just to keep it out of the way until she could dry it better.

Planting her hands on the side of the furo, she swung out her legs to hover over the water in a sitting position, before dropping in.

X x x x x x

Akane was just sitting down at the table with a glass of juice when the most pain screamed she had ever heard echoed through the house. Hastily setting down her drink, she took off for the bathroom with Kasumi, Genma, and Soun in tow. The scream died out before they got there to be replaced by pained yells about the water being too hot and further exclamations of pain.

"Ranma!" She yelled bursting through the interior door to find her fiancé rapidly pouring cold water over her body, especially her lower half.

#What's the matter boy?# Genma signed as a panda.

"What's all this then?" Soun asked.

Seeing that Ranma looked physically fine, other than half her body being an angry red, Akane realized something else quickly. "Out!" She shoved the two fathers from the room.

"But Akane." Her father protested.

#We're here to help!# Genma held up another sign.

"Then you don't have to ogle Ranma." She answered and slammed the door shut. "Honestly."

"Ranma, what's going on?" Kasumi stopped the boy turned girl from pouring more water on herself. Ranma's lower body had rapidly turned from red back to it's normal color.

"That water is boiling!" Ranma pointed an accusing finger at the furo.

"But that water has been there since last night." Kasumi ran a hand through the water. "It's barely warm."

"No way!" Ranma was up on her feet and shoved her hand in the water only to withdraw it instantly. "I'm telling you it's boiling!"

Colognes loud cackling laugh interrupted them as the door to the furo slid open. The old woman hopped in on her staff to perch herself in the middle of the bath. "Having troubles Son in law?"

"You!" Ranma accused. "You did this somehow!"

"That's right I did." Cologne's ancient face split into a large grin. "Yesterday I touched a special pressure point that has made your entire body as sensitive as a cat's tongue. As you've found out, even lukewarm water will now scald you."

"Why would you do that?" Akane demanded.

"I'll give you the cure if you agree to be Shampoo's groom." The elderly woman answered.

"Fat chance you old buzzard!" Ranma shouted and launched herself at Cologne. There was a flash of movement from Cologne's right arm just as Ranma was about to grab the old woman, sending Ranma down into the tub with a splash.

"AIIIEEE!" Ranma was out of the water before the curse could even activate and back over to the faucet to get more cold water.

"Ha ha ha ha ha." Cologne laughed at Ranma's pain. "When you're ready to marry my Shampoo, stop by our restaurant." Hopping from the bath with a splash of water, the old woman was gone before Akane could see her leave.

"Oh my." Kasumi whispered.

"That old ghoul!" Ranma cursed. "I'll－ I'll－ I'll－." The girl sputtered in rage, unable to come up with a suitable threat on the spot.

"Easy Ranma." Akane grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Ranma's chest in case anyone else decided to barge in.

"Why should I calm down? If you haven't heard I can't change back!" Ranma snapped while taking a step away from her. Akane didn't have an immediate answer to that, or the rather loud growl that came from the smaller girl.

"I think what Akane means to say is that Cologne has a way to fix things and may even want you to pursue her for it." Kasumi supplied, making both her and Ranma blink several times at the eldest Tendo sister. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Akane answered. "I think you hit the nail on the head."

"Did that old bag say where they were opening the restaurant?" Ranma asked.

"But it's a school day." Akane pointed out.

"You want me to go as a girl?"

"That's a good point." She conceded. Students didn't normally show up to class as the opposite gender.

X x x x x x

With an umbrella overhead, Ranma found the future site of Cologne's restaurant easy enough. A crew was currently putting up the sign in the rain that read 'Nekohanten'. The building itself was two stories tall and would be one of the larger restaurants in the immediate area.

"Oi, is that old monkey around?" She asked the nearest worker who was moving boxes through a small alley on the side into a door to the back of the shop.

He looked at her suspiciously, obviously taken back by her gruff attitude. "I don't know any 'old monkeys'." He answered.

"Her name's Cologne, short old lady with a big staff." She clarified.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Ah Son in law, do come in." Cologne's voice called from inside.

"Hmmph." Ranma pushed past the man to enter the shop.

"Son in law?" The mover asked behind her.

Spotting Cologne sitting on a counter with a cash register on it, she stormed up to the old woman. "Fix what you did to me!" She demanded.

"Ready to marry Shampoo?" Cologne asked, unconcerned that Ranma was ready to tear out the woman's throat.

"I'm not marrying anybody!" She yelled and tried to kick Cologne. Her target snaked out a hand to redirect her kick straight upwards and to spin her completely around. Just as she was coming back to face Cologne, she found the fat end of the staff jabbed into her forehead. Crying out, she rocketed out the front door to crash into a pile of cardboard boxes.

"Dirty old ghoul!" She exclaimed and charged past the shocked workers to go back inside. Cologne hadn't moved from her spot and this time Ranma attempted a knife hand strike at the woman's neck. The Joketsuzoku member tried to deflect her strike with the staff but this time Ranma caught it. "HA!"

"Oh?" Cologne twisted and twirled the staff wrenching Ranma's arm into a painful position before she was spun around in mid-air to face plant heavily into the linoleum floor. Back on her feet in an instant, She hoped to take Cologne off guard, but found only the woman's staff resting lightly against her forehead.

Gulping, her eyes crossed wondering when the pain was going to come. 'How can she be so much better than me? She hasn't even moved from that spot.'

"You're not bad Son in law, sloppy in form but precise in movement." Cologne flipped a piece of paper towards her that Ranma caught. "Fill that out and you can work for me."

The paper turned out to be an employment application. "Why would I want to work for you?" She asked angrily.

"It would give you plenty of opportunity to get this." Cologne reached into the front of her clothing to pull out a small case hung from a chain around her neck. "The cure to your condition, the phoenix pill."

"Phoenix pill?" Ranma let the tension in her body drop and looked away from Cologne. "Like the legendary bird?"

"Exactly, the phoenix is a champion of heat resistance." Cologne started to explain and Ranma took her chance to try and steal the case. She had barely started to move before that staff knocked her upside the head, and Cologne continued like nothing had happened. "It will cancel out the cat's tongue pressure point. But you have to take it from me."

"Fine!" She slammed the paper down on the counter. "Gimme a pen."

X x x x x x

After leaving school, Akane wandered through the streets looking for the address Kasumi had written down this morning for the restaurant Cologne was setting up. Ranma owed her for turning in his homework and when she got home for communicating what he needed to do for tomorrow. Of course all the teachers had given that task to her since she lived under the same roof as the sick kid.

She heard Ranma's female voice before she had found the building. As a moving van went past, she rolled her eyes at another scream of outrage from her feminine fiancé. The correct address was obvious, what with Ranma repeatedly yelling out some insult towards Cologne, a cry of pain, and various other sound effects. Since it was open, she entered in through the front door, and found Ranma heatedly arguing with Cologne who threw eight rectangular paper lanterns with bright red frames around the edges at Ranma who caught each one.

"Ah Akane-san." Cologne greeted her as Ranma grumbled and went off to set the lanterns up over the overhead lights. Ranma had to do the task by jumping up and securing them in place before falling back to the ground. The floor itself was empty, the tables and chairs all piled off in the corner next to the kitchen. "What can I do for you?"

"You could fix what you did to Ranma." She suggested. "Who is for some reason helping you setup your shop."

"He's my newest employee." The elderly woman answered.

"Just till I get that pill you old hag!" Ranma snapped, attaching the last lantern to land lightly on the floor, and pointed a finger at Cologne.

"Well you have the stamina my boy, but do you have the skill?" Cologne hopped off the cash register counter and hopped towards the kitchen area. "Now put those tables and chairs in place around the room."

"Old ghoul." Ranma cursed but did as she was told.

"Are you alright?" Akane asked, noticing that Ranma looked like she had been thrown around the room a dozen times.

"Yea just fine, nothing that old bat can do will keep me down." She answered, carrying a table into place.

"Then why are you working for her?"

"She's got a pill that'll fix what she did. But I gotta take it from her." The smaller girl answered.

"And you can't do it?" Akane smiled smugly, imagining Ranma finally getting shown up.

"Oh I'll do it." Ranma gave off a crazed laugh. "I swear I will!" The response to Ranma's declaration was a metal pot that shot out of the kitchen to impact the back of the girl's head with a heavy clang before falling on to the table. Ranma clutched at the back of her head in pain, cursing repeatedly.

"Back to work, we have to be ready to open tomorrow for lunch!" Cologne called from the kitchen. "And don't dent that pot!"

"You're the one that threw it you miserable old sack of wrinkled flesh!" Ranma shouted and hurled the pot back into the kitchen.

"It was your head that it hit!"

Grimacing, Akane rubbed at one of her temples. "I'll have Kasumi save you some dinner in case you'll be here late and I have your assignments for today."

"Really? Thanks." Ranma darted back and forth across the floor to setup the rest of the tables.

"Good luck Ranma." She told her strange fiancé who paused in her tasks.

"Thanks." Ranma answered before running into the kitchen.

'Oh Ranma.' She shook her head, wincing when there was another metallic clang followed by pained whimpers from the Lycan girl. 'What a pig headed idiot.'

X x x x x x

Later that night

'Tendo has gotten better.' Genma didn't let his face slip from it's mask as he stared across the shogi board at his oldest friend. Checking his moves, every single one of them would lose him a piece. Worse yet, barely half of those would open up a decent move, and on top of that his entire defensive strategy would be broken. Crossing his arms, he tried to figure out the best move to make.

The best move of course was to distract Tendo, so that he could move the pieces to better suit him. But with Soun watching him like a hawk and clearly expecting him to try something devious, he needed something else. 'I need an outside distraction. Now where is that ungrateful brat of mine when I need him?'

"Lemme go Shampoo!" Ranma's female voice yelled.

'And the universe provides.' He had to fight to keep the smile off of his face as Shampoo came bounding over the outside wall with a tied up Ranma slung over her shoulder. A second jump carried her over the koi pond to land next to them.

"Here go." Shampoo unceremoniously dropped Ranma on to the shogi board, breaking it in half once again. "Great Grandmother say she no want waitress be tired for first day and Airen no leave her alone."

"The game!" Soun exclaimed while Genma secretly rejoiced at his good fortune.

"Pop lemme out of this thing." Ranma struggled with the thick rope wrapped tightly around his body from his shoulders to his knees. "I need to get that cure from the old ghoul."

"Hmm." He scratched at his chin. "Is that where you've been all day?"

"Yes!"

"Great Grandmother hire Airen to work at restaurant." Shampoo supplied helpfully.

"Get some sleep and try again in the morning." He decided. Ranma was being too high strung as it was and unless his mother magically showed up, an extra few hours of him being a girl wouldn't hurt. Ranma didn't respond other than to growl and get up to his feet to hop down the hall to the steps.

"Shampoo go now." The Chinese girl took off from the way she came.

"Do you think I should bring Ranma his dinner?" Kasumi asked absently.

"He's fine." Genma waved off the girl's concern. "But I'll take it though."

X x x x x x

"Stupid no good father." Ranma gripped her futon blanket in her teeth and rolled over to cover up the majority of her body. Squirming, she used her toes to pull it on the rest of the way. Settling down, she stared up at the ceiling, fuming over her inability to best a human who should have been dead from old age a century ago.

"Damn these ropes are itchy." She rolled over to try and get an itch on her left arm.

"Having fun Saotome?" Nabiki's amused voice asked.

"Hi Nabiki." She answered slowly.

"Seems like you're in a bit of a－ bind." She walked into the room and lifted up the blanket. "Tisk tisk."

"Listen could you undo this knot?" Ranma looked towards her stomach.

"What's in it for me?" The middle Tendo asked.

"The knowledge that you've done a good thing." She answered.

"Not good enough." Nabiki let the blanket fall back on her and stood up.

"Wa－ wait! What would be good enough?"

"How about a photoshoot. But－ I want some of whatever it is you turn into."

"Why would you want that?"

"Does it matter?"

"You already sell enough pictures of me and I can't even think what you would do with those, so yes it matters."

"Too bad then." Nabiki replied flippantly. "Sleep tight." Ranma glared at the retreating girl as she exited the room and flipped the overhead light off. 'They're all against me.' She sighed, putting her head down on her pillow to stare upwards.

"You in here Ranma?" Akane's head peaked in the doorway.

"Yes." She answered and Akane flipped the light on.

"What are you doing laying around in the dark." The youngest Tendo asked.

"Nabiki turned it off and if you didn't know I'm kind of tied up." She replied sarcastically. "If you're not going to untie me, lemme try and get some sleep." Akane's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "Uh－ that is to say, could you untie me please?" Ranma pouted, trying to make her eyes look ultra big and wet.

"Fine." Akane caved in, either at Ranma's display, or to be nice. Once free, she scratched furiously all over her body.

"Awww yea, that's the good stuff." She ended up scratching the sides of her breasts.

"Stop molesting yourself." Akane hit her over the head.

"I wasn't." She protested, sitting cross legged.

"So are you going to run off to try and get that pill you're after?"

"I should, not like Cologne has my stamina, even if I can't beat her outright I can outlast her."

"You're admitting that someone is better than you?" Akane seemed far too amused with that idea.

"For today she was." Ranma crossed her arms and looked away.

"Can't be the best all the time." Akane's smug factor rose.

"You do realize that both Shampoo and Cologne are better than you right?"

"This isn't about them." Akane snapped.

"Oh? So pointing out how I'm not as good as someone is fine, but you're going to get all angry when I do the same thing?" Ranma leaned in towards Akane. "You'd almost be cute if you weren't such an uncoordinated tomboy."

"That old woman must have hit you harder than I thought." Akane rapidly rose to her feet.

"So uncute." Ranma flopped back on her futon.

"Stupid dog." Akane shot back.

"Wolf." He pointed out

"You didn't say anything about not being stupid." Akane stuck out her tongue.

X x x x x x

Kuonji Ukyo stared out the windows that made up an entire wall of her penthouse apartment. For eight years now she had been out of Japan and she was happy to be back, even if the language had become a slight barrier. Leaning against a plush chair was her battle spatula that a Yakuza eyed warily as he approached her.

"Yes?" She asked with her arms crossed. Appearing to be a man was the only reason she received any respect from the army of Yakuza who were her units eyes and ears. That was another plus of being away from Budapest. While there she was often required to show off her body and her shame.

"Kuonji-sama, our investigators were able to find these." The man held out a folder filled with photographs. "They're from the Sayama Natural Park in Saitama Prefecture. We searched there after a report that locals had heard wolves in the night."

Pulling out the photographs, she found shots of distinctive animal tracks that could only be made by one creature. "How many and any indication on where they entered from?"

"A handful at most and from the East but other than that we don't know anything."

"Get me a map." Putting the pictures back into the folder, she handed it back, and he bowed before leaving.

None of that information truly helped her. Lycans being such simple creatures wouldn't have considered masking their entry point, so that narrowed it down slightly, assuming that they would be on foot. In her experience that was a good assumption to make. The Lycans she had dealt with lived like the animals that they were, so having the money to own a car in Tokyo was out, and why would they pay for a cab when they could walk?

When the man returned with her map, she began to draw a basic triangle from the park out to the East, guessing on the walking distance, she finished the triangle. "Focus your efforts in this area."

"Yes Kuonji-sama." The man bowed and left again.

She didn't expect them to find anything, especially with the full moon having past, but perhaps there would be some police report or some tabloid paper reporting a strange creature in the area. Anything would help to narrow down the search for wherever the Lycans were making their home. Sitting down in the plush chair, she idly rubbed the top of her battle spatula, imagining that these Lycans may just be the ones she was searching for.

X x x x x x

The next morning, Ranma awoke before her father again, and took a few minutes to stare at his sleeping form. She hadn't waited for him before falling asleep last night, so she didn't get to ask the question that was burning a hole in her head. Getting up, she stood over Genma with arms crossed, and nudged him with her foot.

"Wake up ol man." She demanded.

"Ready for the morning spar?" Genma asked, scratching at his stomach.

"Not today." She answered and dropped down to sit in a cross legged position with her arms still crossed. "I want to know why you're not doing anything about Shampoo."

"I don't know what you're talking about boy."

"Don't give me that. Is this thing with Akane just some kind of diversion? Something for us to have a place to stay? What?"

Genma adjusted his glasses slowly. "You know we've never met any other Lycans and I don't want anything to do with fighting vampires so we need to stay away from the ones I do know of."

"And?" She tapped her fingers expectantly.

"And Shampoo might be better for you than Akane." Genma replied seriously and Ranma was taken aback by the abrupt statement.

"Explain." She narrowed her eyes at him. Genma was the one that brought her here, he was the one that kept pushing for this engagement, and now he was ignoring his own idea? "You do realize that up until a couple days ago, Shampoo was trying to behead me or maybe skin me alive? I never really figured out what her endgame was other than me being dead."

"Because Akane is a human and Shampoo is not. I'm sure you've realized what that means."

Ranma nodded slowly. "I also know that my mom was human."

"Sneaky boy." Genma had never talked about her, but Ranma knew that it must have been the case, and Genma couldn't keep the secret any longer, so they left or she was dead. The second option was unlikely, Ranma would have expected that Genma, no matter how much of an uncultured thug, would have at least occasionally brought it up.

"So where is she?" Ranma asked. "Why couldn't I meet her now?"

Genma laughed very nervously, the kind of laugh that Ranma knew meant that he had done something very stupid. "Get the cure to your problem and then we'll talk about it."

"That's probably a good idea, not like she'd want to meet her son when he's her daughter." She now knew that her mother was alive and that Genma had done something stupid before they had left. Unfortunately Genma was right, how could she meet her mother stuck in this body? Standing, she picked at her boxers that had bunched up in the back, and grabbed some clean clothes.

"I'm gonna take a bath."

"I'll join you."

"Stupid old man, I'm going to have to use cold water and I'm not taking a bath with a stinky panda." Ranma rolled her eyes.

"Good point." Genma immediately laid himself back down to get more sleep.

X x x x x x

"Welcome to the Nekohanten." Ranma greeted in a bubbly voice as a young couple entered into the restaurant and moved to set two steaming bowls of ramen down at a table. Clothed in a pale yellow chinese pant suit with green flowers dotting it, a white apron with frills on the shoulders, and a flowering headband, she quickly moved to place eating utensils and menus on the table when the couple sat down.

"We're currently having a grand opening special which means all meals are twenty percent off. I'll be back in a minute to take your order." Bowing, she moved over to a table that had just been vacated to clean it off.

"Order up!" Cologne called from the window into the kitchen.

At the window, Ranma purposely put the trio of dishes on a round tray before making another attempt at the phoenix pill around Cologne's neck. Every attempt was met by a deflection by Cologne, who casually found another bowl of ramen to throw up in the air over Ranma's head. "Order up!" She announced and Ranma hastily stopped her attacks to pick up the tray filled with food, grab a second tray, and catch the bowl as it dropped on the empty one.

Grumbling, Ranma put back on her cheery face and headed off to deposit the food and take the couples order. She had already had some of the ramen broth fall on her, and was in no hurry to repeat the process. It was a small consolation that only liquids burned, even though it did feel really warm out, which no one else seemed to notice.

Going on autopilot for customer duty, she didn't always attack Cologne, trying to mix things up in order to catch the old woman off balance. It didn't work, Cologne didn't seem to ever drop her guard, and was so fast that Ranma could barely touch her. Frustration was setting in and if it wasn't daytime she would be in danger of changing forms. That however was the last thing she wanted to do in front of Cologne. The old woman was playing with her and it would be bad for the moment if she decided to get serious. Shampoo's reaction to seeing her Lycan form seemed like a minor hiccup in comparison.

All activity in the restaurant stopped when a large black and white form entered in through the doorway. The panda looked left, then right, then settled for finding an open chair and nearly broke it when he sat down.

"What are you doing old man?" Ranma asked her panda father, dropping all pretense of being polite.

#Is that anyway to greet a customer?#

Leveling a bored look at Genma, she deposited a menu in front of him. "Special today－ twenty percent off on meals." She told him slowly, pulling out a pad of paper to write down the order.

#Shiitake pork#

"You got money hidden where you stick those signs?" She wrote down the order but didn't move.

#You have a job, you pay.#

"Order up!" Cologne yelled and hurled a bowl through the air towards her. Without missing a beat, Ranma caught it and in the same motion to stop it from spilling, set it down on the nearby table.

"I'm not paying for your food." She glared at her father, ignoring the applause for her impromptu show. "You have your own job at Tofu's. Where's the money from that?"

#I spent it.#

"What in the world would you have to spend money on?" She demanded and tapped her foot.

#It's a surprise!# (3)

"Fine, I'll pay for you this one time, and only one time."

X x x x x x

Genma ignored the strange looks he received in this form, long used to average people being confused over why a giant panda was in their midst. After years of putting Ranma through various strange and exotic training exercises, he immediately noticed that Cologne was training Ranma to increase his speed. Ranma might realize it, but was likely too focused on the goal, and was ignoring the journey.

'She's very good.' He narrowed his eyes while watching Ranma and Cologne briefly exchange a flurry of attacks. 'It's good there are still people to put the boy in his place.' Genma did not like to admit it but without his familiarity with Ranma, he would not fare as well as he did against him. In another year or two at max, he wouldn't be able to keep up.

"Ah, Saotome-dono." Cologne moved over to him on that staff of hers with a kettle that she placed on the table in front of him. Taking the cue, he returned to human form, and straightened out his clothing. Moving his eyes from Cologne to Ranma who was busy with other customers, he felt safe enough to talk for a moment with the customers providing a comfortable sound barrier. "Can't get enough of my ramen?"

"Don't think you can dominate the boy with petty games, he's a wild animal, and will bite back." He ignored her question about the ramen since Ranma was distracted on the other side of the room.

"If he wasn't strong he wouldn't have been able to best my Shampoo." Cologne answered without knowing what Genma's warning was truly about. If she continued to torment Ranma then he knew his son would do something rash. Genma would be disappointed that he had lost control after all the work they had done on that subject, but it would be justified. "Does that mean you are adverse to the marriage?"

"Not－ completely. But you need to understand that he's promised to another." He was digging to see just how serious Cologne was.

Shampoo, by being a Lycan now, was the girl he would have chosen if he had known beforehand, in order to avoid Ranma always having to be distant with, and eventually leave his wife. 'If only I hadn't made that promise with Soun before being bitten.' He thought bitterly. His original idea with engaging Ranma to Akane was to let him live out a fairly normal life since he still did not accept that Lycans were immortal even though Genma had not aged since Ranma had turned six.

"The Tendo girl."

"Akane, and as a promise between friends, it is not something I wish to break simply because Shampoo made a claim."

"It is not just a claim, it is the law of our village and people."

"Law my ass." Ranma butted in, setting down Genma's food in front of him. "Here it is you freeloader." She instantly raised the round tray to try and blind Cologne before jabbing forward with her other hand to get at a large round object around the old woman's neck.

Genma nearly missed Cologne jabbing Ranma in the stomach with the pointed end of her staff before Ranma could even get close to her. Something knocked the tray from Ranma's hands up into the air and then the head of the staff hit Ranma in the forehead before the tray landed on her head to add insult.

"That hurt you old ghoul!" Ranma held both hands over her forehead.

"Go bus the tables." Cologne told Ranma, sitting calmly, and without having moved. Ranma stayed in her spot obviously thinking about making another attempt before moving off to clean a table. "He has impressive stamina."

"He's always been a handful." Genma chuckled to himself, thinking of embarrassing stories he might use to get Ranma to work even harder, or do what he wanted.

"While parental consent isn't taken in account, it would be nice if you supported a marriage between the two." Cologne continued their conversation too soon and Genma could see Ranma tilt her head slightly to point an ear towards them.

"No, it's ultimately Ranma's choice, and if you think trying to force him will work, you're getting senile in your old age." Genma closed his eyes and crossed his arms, already having seen the incredulous stare from Ranma, and hoping that Cologne wouldn't turn her attentions to him for that senile crack. Cologne looked far too much like the dreaded Master for him to have any real backbone against her.

Cologne cackled loudly and Genma's eyes snapped open at the horrifying sound. "Like father like son! Ranma will definitely make an excellent groom for Shampoo!"

"I'm nobodies groom old ghoul!" Ranma slammed her hands down on the table. "Now gimme that pill!"

X x x x x x

Three days later

"Hurray, Shampoo's back." Ranma said with false enthusiasm, kneeling next to the table at the Tendo's waiting for dinner, and still in the clothing she wore while waitressing. This time it was a red Chinese pantsuit with white clef symbols positioned randomly over the entire outfit.

Shampoo had been sent back to China to return to the country legally, the day she had been drafted into becoming the Nekohanten's waitress, and had returned today. How this was accomplished so quickly, Ranma had no idea. Today she had worked only from lunch until dinner time and now Shampoo was going to close up. Tomorrow they would be switching, so Ranma's day suddenly opened up. Since that would give her plenty of time to get sleep, she wanted, no needed to go out tonight and blow off steam.

"I'd think you would be happy." Akane replied snidely, not taking the return of Shampoo well. "Your cute Lycan girlfriend is back and you don't have to work all day at the Nekohanten."

"One, she's not my girlfriend." She replied to the youngest Tendo. "Two, that just means I can't get that phoenix pill. That old ghoul hides it whenever I'm not working." Propping up her chin with both elbows on the table, she snorted. "Can't even sniff it out."

"Yea well, it'll give you time to get your schoolwork done." Akane pointed out. "You failed all but two of your assignments, you should really go to class again."

"This is no time to worry about school." She said weakly, admitting to herself that this whole incident was ruining her class work. Genma, in panda form, chose her momentary distraction to hit her over the head with a wooden sign. "What was that for?" She demanded angrily.

#Don't flunk out, school's expensive!#

"Oh shut up old man." She kicked him in the gut. "How am I supposed to go to school as a girl?"

"The same way all girl's go to school I suppose." Nabiki mused. "I imagine it's a lot like how boys go to school."

"You're so smart Nabiki!" Ranma said in an overly bubbly voice. "I mean, I'm sure nobody will question why I'm suddenly a girl or that I show up as a guy when I'm finally able to change back. Nope, no one will ever question that!" Nabiki glared at her while Akane giggled. "You better stick to scamming Kuno."

"You're going to pay for that little joke Saotome." Nabiki remarked.

"I'm terrified." Ranma responded.

X x x x x x

Ranma woke slowly after a night in the woods, stretching herself out on her back; she inadvertently pushed the cover off her naked body. She didn't care what time it was or if she had to be at work soon, she just wanted to enjoy the pleasant memories from last night. It would have been nice to have Genma or even Shampoo join her, but then again, it was also nice to just be by herself. That and she doubted either of them could change at will like her.

The only sounds she could hear was indistinct talking from the television downstairs reaching her through the thin walls. Finally opening her eyes, she glanced at the clock and found that it was nearly lunch time. Hungry enough to eat a panda, she got dressed in boxers and a tank top to head down in order to clean up.

"Morning." She greeted Kasumi who was watching something on the television in the living room.

"Good morning." The eldest Tendo returned her greeting while visually inspecting Ranma's dirty body. "Do you－ have to get so dirty?"

"No－ but it's fun to." She answered. It wouldn't be cutting loose if she had worried about a little thing like dirt.

"Oh－ alright. I'm having some soup for lunch, would you like some?"

"Sure." Ranma nodded and left the girl to take her bath. Checking the water in the bath, it felt like a nice temperature, even though she knew it wouldn't change her back. After cleaning herself, she was just sitting down in the water when Kasumi burst into the room.

"Ranma wait that water is hot!" She came to an abrupt stop.

"Hot?" Ranma asked, her voice changing from it's female version to a masculine one. "I'm a guy." He felt his chest and found that he was indeed male. "I'm cured!" He cried happily.

"I'm happy for you." Kasumi quickly exited the room.

Laughing stupidly, he turned on the hot water faucet to add even more to the bath. Splashing his face repeatedly, a bath had never felt so good. Reality crashed into his happy mood and he sputtered on some water. 'I know I didn't get that phoenix pill, so how?' The only thing that had changed was that he had changed last night. Laughing again, he realized that the same pressure point probably didn't work on that form so he was free!

X x x x x x

Author Notes

1 - They were just staying the night while the paperwork goes through to purchase the building she'll be setting up the Nekohanten in.

2 - Ranma gained a bit of length to his hair but not much else from the dragon whisker due to his body resisting outside change. The cat's tongue by contrast is something applied externally that causes an internal change.

3 - Genma spent it on a new shogi board. Ranma was not pleased.