I don't own Ranma...or Akane...or Ryoga... What a shame.

It was a normal seeming day at the Tendo Dojo. Akane was home alone, as everyone else had left for one reason or another. She was finishing up some of her training when there was a soft rapping at the door, then the sound of someone running off.

"Wonder who that was…" Said Akane aloud, opening the door. There was a small black box on the ground in front of her. The girl picked it up. It's for me?

The little black box did indeed had Akane's name engraved on it. Opening it, the girl got a face full of water. She became dizzy for a second and couldn't see straight. When the world stopped spinning, it had grown, somehow. Akane's clothes were crumpled on the floor around and on top of her.

"What just happened?" She asked aloud. Something furry moved in the corner of her eye. Jumping at it, the girl found that it was a tiger striped cat's tail. Then she noticed it was attached to her.

"MERRROWWW! A cat! I've been turned into a cat!"

Wanting to know how this happened, Akane looked at the box. It had a spring mechanism that had flung the water at her, and at the bottom of the container was a picture of a blue haired girl sticking out her tongue. Shampoo! I should've known.

Akane was now a little scared. If she had been turned into a cat by means of water, did that mean she was cursed like Ranma? That would mean she would become this every time she got hit with cold water. That is, if she became human again at all. Another thought occurred to her. Ranma was terrified of all cats. What if he saw her like this? That would make living with the big moron even harder than it was already.

"I have to change back before he gets home." Akane said determinately. She rushed to the bathtub. Getting the water flowing was going to be very tricky without thumbs. It took several dedicated smacks with a forepaw to get the water going. The cat closed her eyes. In a second, she felt a dizzy spell come over her, and opened an eye. Human, Akane was once again human. She rushed to get some clothes on, and once dressed, she sighed in relief.

"Oh geez, why'd it have to rain?" Said a familiar voice. It had to have been Ranma in girl form. Forgetting about the whole water thing, Akane ran out to greet him and to explain what had happened.

"Akane, you seem glad to see-se-se…" said the red head. She froze in one spot.

"Yeah, this looks bad, right?" asked Akane, growing damp from the rain. Well, at least he knows now.

Ranma's friend had returned to her feline shape.

"Cat…talk…Akane's voice…" Ranma began to hyperventilate. She rose a finger into the air as if she had finally figured something out, then fainted.

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"Um, Ranma, wake up, rise and shine. Come on, unless you want me to take more pictures of you, I can always use the extra cash." Said Nabiki, shaking the person in question.

"Tell me that was just a nightmare." Groaned Ranma, rubbing her eyes.

"It wasn't."

Ranma turned to see the same tiger striped cat in the doorway of her room. "Before you freak out and faint again, I want you to know that everyone is okay. I'm just cursed like you. Or, to be more specific, Shampoo." Akane shoved the box to Ranma, who saw what was undeniably Shampoo's face drawn inside.

Be cool, Ranma. The cat is Akane, it's not her fault that she's the way she is. It's only when she gets wet. she thought, trying to stay calm.

Fat chance that would happen.

Two warm baths later, everyone was ready for dinner.

"I'm starved!"

"Me too!"

Kasumi walked into the dining area with a large fish on a platter. She placed it on the middle of the table.

"This was very hard to make. I hope you enjoy!" She said cheerfully.

Akane stared silently at the plate.

"You okay, tomboy?" asked Ranma.

"Mew!" Akane leapt onto the table, grabbed the fish in her teeth and bounded out of the room on all fours. The others found her in Ranma's room, gnawing on what was left of everyone's dinner like a wild beast.

"Akane? Oh cruel fate! My sweet daughter, transformed into a savage creature of instinct!" Sobbed Soun Tendo.

"Wasn't she that already?" said Ranma.

As the group walked closer, Akane hissed at them.

"Hey, Little Sis, snap out of it, will ya?" Said Nabiki, snapping her fingers in the girl's face.

Akane raised her hand like she was going scratch Nabiki, then blinked twice and looked up. The youngest girl put down her hand.

"What's going on? Why am I in here with…" She looked down at the half eaten fish and shuddered.

"Wait, didn't you say that she could talk as a cat?" asked Genma.

Ranma nodded.

"And wasn't it only a little of the water that got on you?" he asked, addressing the now beet red girl.

"Yeah."

"That's it! When only a little water got on her, as opposed to being dunked in the spring itself, the curse wasn't set correctly. That caused traits from both Akane's human and cat halves to leak into each other. That is the reason why she can talk as a cat and why she had this show of instinct as a human!" said Genma.

"Oh, goody, goody." Said Akane flatly.

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The next morning, Akane, awoke with a yawn. She kept her eyes closed. Please let it have been just a bad dream! The light scent of fish on her hands said otherwise.

She got dressed and went to the dining room for breakfast. It wasn't a school day, so there wasn't any need to rush.

"Morning, kitty." Said Ranma, grinning at her.

"Funny coming from a guy who almost wets himself every time a cat gets within ten feet of him." Retorted Akane.

As she ate her breakfast, she had a feeling she was being stared at.

"You seem to be enjoying your food." Said Nabiki.

Her younger sister soon realized that she had eaten with her face in the bowl. Once again blushing, the girl walked out of the house. She had decided that a walk might clear her mind.

Well, my life's gone down the gutter. It'd be bad enough if I just had a normal curse, but now I'm a complete f-r-e-a-k! Akane thought, somewhat bitterly Shampoo better make herself scarce, because the next time I see that blue haired jerk I'm gonna beat the stuffing out of her!

Suddenly, a very familiar lady with a ladle came into view, and sloshed water straight on to Akane.

The tiger striped cat took a second to get her bearings and sighed. "Well, it can't get much worse, right?"

"Roof! Roof!" A large, hairy, black dog was right down the street. He had a thing for chasing cats. And that's just what he decided to do. The big mutt barreled after her, barking at the cat and snapping at her tail.

"Help! Dad! Ranma! Mr. Saotome! Anybody! Help!" Akane shrieked as she raced down the street. The dog was closing in. He soon had the cat against the fence. She closed her eyes, ready to be mortally wounded.

"Hey, Fido!" Yelled a voice. The dog was kicked in the side, and ran off yelping.

Akane looked up.

"Glad I saved you, right?" said Ranma, looking down at her.

"More surprised that you saved a cat." Said Akane, incredulously. Ranma turned white. He had been so focused on saving her when he heard her cry for help, he didn't notice that she was in her cat form.

"C-c-cat. Nice kitty… good kitty…" He said, backing up.

"You idiot. I'm not gonna hurt you. If you don't mind, I'm heading home to change back. You big wimp."

"I-I-I'm not scared." Ranma didn't sound very convincing.

"MRRROOOWWW" Growled Akane. Ranma jumped. "Not scared? Right…"

The cat walked back home. However, the door was shut. "Hello? Can someone let me in? I kinda lack thumbs right now! Hello?"

No one answered.

Akane grumbled to herself. It was a hot day, and the heat combined with a fur coat and a feline metabolism, was making very sleepy. Just a quick nap. I'm sure that by the time I wake up, somebody's gonna be within hearing range. She thought, curling into a ball and falling asleep.

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"Hey, Akane!" Said an adult Ranma, walking up to the one in question. He was wearing a tux and smiling.

"Ranma? Where are we?" asked Akane. She was still sixteen, and was wearing her training robes. They were obviously in a garden, with rows of seats.

"Silly kitty, we're at the wedding!" The man patted her head.

"Ranma mean our wedding! Shampoo is most happy to be finally wedded to Ranma!" said a voice behind Akane.

Turning, the girl's jaw dropped. A woman wearing a long white dress was smiling at her. The most striking feature of the woman was her long blue hair.

"No way. You can't be marrying her!" Akane yelped.

"Of course I can. Why are you so surprised, Tomboy? You've known for weeks."

"Wha?"

"Ignore bothersome girl. She stuck in the past, Shampoo is future for Ranma!" Said Shampoo, grabbing the groom's arm and dragging him down the aisle.

Akane was grabbed by an army of cats, who pulled her to a seat and held her there. They covered her mouth so she couldn't talk.

"Shampoo, do you take Ranma to be your husband?" said Genma at the altar.

"I do."

"Ranma, do you take Shampoo to be your wife?"

Say no, Ranma! Say no! Akane thought.

"I do!"

"Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Akane watched in horror as the two obliged.

It began to rain. Akane was a cat. The other cats vanished.

"Hey, I'm still a man!" said Ranma.

"Shampoo curse not work either!" Said Shampoo, Elated.

The two had remained unchanged. Genma the panda held up a sign that read "True love conquers all". The married couple then kissed again.

"RRRREEEOOOW!"

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"RRRREEEOOOW!"

"Calm down Akane, it was just a dream. It's over."

Akane opened her eyes. She was in her room, under a blanket. Kasumi was kneeling next to her.

"You must have been having some nightmare. You were struggling and yowling on the ground when Ranma found you. He got Mr. Saotome to get you inside. You were yelling something. Then you continued screeching for about ten minutes before we could wake you." Said the eldest Tendo girl.

"Oh…" Said Akane, her ears twitching a bit. "Err… Kasumi? What exactly did I yell?"

"Um, 'Say no Ranma, Say no' I believe."

"Please tell me he didn't hear."

"Oh, I heard, Akane!" Laughed a voice. It belonged to Ranma, who was standing in the doorway.

"Want me to come over there?"

"N-n-n-no! Stay there!" Ranma changed his tone to a calmer one "It's fine. I'll…I'll get you some hot water." With that, he was gone.

"Kasumi, can I ask you something?" said Akane hesitantly.

"Anything, Akane."

Akane sighed. "Never mind." She wanted to ask her older sister about the dream. During it, she had been I'm-gonna-go-off-on-you-like-an-atomic-bomb angry at Shampoo. But why? It wasn't because of the cat thing. Sure, Akane hated Shampoo, but not as much as she did in the nightmare.

"I got the water. So, you just want me to…" said Ranma, carrying the pot into the room.

"I'll do it myself. Kasumi, Ranma, can you two leave, and shut the door?"

As he complied, Ranma's head was abuzz with questions. What the heck could she had been dreaming about? More importantly, what do I have to do with it?

"Ranma?"

Ranma turned to Kasumi. "Yes?"

"Please try to be kind to Akane. She's as afraid and confused as you probably were. I know you don't like cats, but she needs us to be there for her now more than ever." She said, looking him square in the eye. She left Ranma standing still.

She's probably right. I was pretty messed up for a while after I was cursed. I'll have to get over this stupid fear of mine if I want to stay sane, let alone help out Akane. He thought to himself. He now had a goal: to end his fear of cats or die trying.