Take the Green and Go

Ranma and any other series used in this fanfic are owned by their respective owners. I do not own anything.

Thanks to CyberSkaarj and the people of Fukufics for pre-reading

“Speech”

‘Thoughts’

Chapter 15

“You know, I still think that it would have been better to keep Kimmie in the dark.” Shego commented as she fired off a few energy blasts at a wooden target that was imagined up. “I actually wanted to see her crack completely.”

“Thank you for saying that for about the 100th time.” Ranma responded sarcastically with a roll of his eyes as he practiced with his own training dummy. “Unlike you, I can’t find any amusement in having it last longer than it should.”

Shego fired one last blast and destroyed the target with a rather beautiful explosion. “It’s because you’re the dominant personality. You may have an equal mix of mine merged with yours, but your ‘softer’ mentality is at the front lines. Even when there are moments where my mentality can overrun yours, you’re still in charge. If I were to somehow gain control, however, then my personality would become the dominant. Sadly, I don’t see that happening.”

“And it’s a good thing too.” The young Saotome responded. “From what I’ve seen from your memories, you were crazy enough WITHOUT the ability to form objects out of your energy and other such related things. The amount of chaos that you could bring, as interesting as the idea sounds, is not something I’d like to see unleashed.”

“Ah whatever.” Shego answered as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I’d probably be too lazy to do all that shit in the first place. If I ever gained control, the first things on my list would be to go to a nice spa, or enjoy a relaxing dip in some hot springs.” A look of yearning that had appeared on the woman’s face was replaced by one of anger. “That damned Happosai. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be stuck in this position! I’d tear him a new asshole if I knew he was still alive!”

“Yeah, it’s a shame, isn’t it? Well, unless he’s like that old ghoul of an Amazon and is still alive somewhere.” Ranma stated in amusement. This caused both of them to stare at each other in silence. “It’s possible, right?”

Shego didn’t respond as her energy sprung around her hands. 10 meters away, a straw figure in the shape of a diminutive ugly man with thin and sloppy black hair materialized into existence. With a clearly audible snarl, the pale woman placed her hands together before firing off a foot-wide beam of energy that flew along the clear path and hit the dummy. When the dust cleared after the expected explosion, there was a two-meter wide crater with no trace of the target.

“This Happosai must really be a sore spot.” Ranma and Shego turned their heads to Cheriko. The mental representation of the Neko-ken yawned and stretched lazily before walking up to the duo. “Now’s not the time to go crazy over events of long past.” Ignoring the glare from Shego, the panther glanced towards Ranma. “Ranma, you’ve been doing a good job getting used to being around cats, and I think you no longer have a problem with being around one.”

“Alright, I’m no longer afraid of nothing!” Ranma shouted as he excitedly punched the air ahead of him. “Now I’m rid of my most embarrassing problem!”

Cheriko tilted her head to the side. “I didn’t say you were rid of your ‘embarrassing problem.” Her statement caused Ranma to halt in his tracks.

“But you said--”

“I said ONE. You know, as in a single cat. Do you honestly expect that by being around only one cat, you’ll conquer a fear that was caused by a whole pit of them? You’re going to have to get used to multiple felines at the same time with the number steadily growing.”

Shego began to laugh at the look on her host’s face. “It looks like widdle Ranma still has a way to go before he can be all big and brave around the itty bitty kitty cats.”

“Hey, it wouldn’t be that bad if their teeth and claws weren’t powerful enough to rip me apart so they could feast on my innards! Those eyes of theirs also contain an evil and sinister glint, and their mewing has got to be a hidden code that allows them to mock me!” Ranma sat down with his arms and legs crossed. “I bet there’s even some crazed monster cat out there somewhere waiting for its moment to strike at me.”

Cheriko and Shego stared at each other for a moment before turning their attention back to the Saotome boy. “Ranma,” Shego began in a soft in calm voice, “I think now is a good time to say this.” The former villainous sidekick walked over and squatted down in front of her host and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “What I’m saying is the honest truth.” Taking a deep breath, she continued on. “YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR FRIGGIN’ GODDAMN MIND!”

The force of the shout caused the teen to fall backwards and hit his head against the ground. Taking a moment to rub the back of his head, he stared at the women. “Wha?”

“They’re CATS. I can understand having ailurphobia due to that stupid Neko-ken training, but to go so far as to have your mind think they are evil and plotting against you is so… so…” Shego tried to think of a word to describe it. Finally, her eyes opened as the word came to her. “Stoppable-like”

“What, the psychotic fear of monkeys he used to have?” Ranma asked with a frown as he understood what the woman was getting on about. “How the hell is this similar?”

“GRAH!” Shego growled out as she grabbed her head and started to walk around. “You’re smart, and you’ve become smarter since you started absorbing my memories and old self, but there are times when you can still be so… goddamn… dense!”

“Hey!”

“Shut up and listen.” The mental figment commanded with enough authority to make Ranma sit up straight. Off to the side, Cheriko silently watched the proceeding confrontation. “Just like the sidekick used to have, you have a severe neurotic issue when it comes to an animal because of past traumatic encounters with said creature. That, in turn, causes you to see a mostly harmless animal as some kind of big bad monster. Of course, you were repeatedly tossed into a pit of starving cats while wrapped up in fish products. Stoppable on the other hand… I’m not really sure. It was probably some stupid small-scale issue.” Shego trailed off for a moment in thought. She then shook her head to get back to the subject at hand. “Anyway, as to what I was trying to say earlier, you are an absolute nut for thinking that cats are out to get you.”

Ranma managed to bite back a retort. “Maybe so, but a group of cats can end up getting deadly. I can tolerate and be around one cat, so can’t that be good enough?”

“Of COURSE it’s not good enough, knucklehead!” Shego answered. “What if you’re forced into a situation where you have to be around multiple cats? Hell, what if some douche-bag discovered the stupid fear and tries to use it against you? They could end up dropping you into some kind of cellar or something with a bunch of cats and a tiger.”

Ranma raised an eyebrow. “Where would they get a tiger?”

The ex-henchwoman thought for a moment before shrugging. “I don’t know, but it’s no stranger than most of the crap I’ve seen in my villain career.” The figment shook her head. “Anyway, you can see what I’m talking about concerning your phobia.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” The young Saotome answered back with a sigh. “But do I REALLY have to do this?” The answer Shego gave him was a dark look as she materialized two cats and held them menacingly. “R-- Right, I’ll take that as a yes.” Ranma backed up a few feet before turning his attention back to Cheriko. “Cheriko, I really do hope you were right when you said this won’t end up turning me part cat.”

“Ranma, I’ve told you several times before.” The panther answered with an exasperated shake of her head. “You will not gain any ears or tail of the feline variety. You will not gain a problem with catnip, a love for yarn-balls, a desire to chase mice, nor will you suffer any other kind of feline problems. Your senses and reflexes will merely be increased a little, and that’s on a more mental awareness level. I mean, it’s not like you really need a big boost in reflexes and body movement anyway. You’re already like a rubber band.”

The two main residents of the psyche could only nod in agreement. “Still,” Shego began with her arms crossed, “There better not be any issues cropping up pertaining to cat appendages appearing. I may not be in control of this body, and I may not be able to interact with people, but I’ll be damned if I allow the person I’m imprisoned within to look like some kind of freak. If it looks bad for him, then it looks bad for me. That’s also why I had a ‘no cloning’ clause in my villain contract. A bunch of stupid clones can end up making you look bad.”

“Not to mention that it can be hard enough to keep secret that I change gender and age with water. Could you imagine if I had to put up with non-human appendages popping out at bad times?” Ranma asked before giving off a violent shudder. “I’d probably have to put everyone who saw and made comments about them into the hospital.”

Shego gave her host a wry smile. “You’ve got to admit that putting people in the hospital over it could be fun.” Ranma raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Whatever,” she said as she returned her attention to Cheriko. “Cheriko, if you are lying and we DO turn a little… cattish, then I believe that the both of us will be searching every corner of this mind until we find the area that you’d be hiding in.” The coldness of the voice caused the panther to shiver.

“Yeah, and I think this place could use a nice panther-skinned rug-- wait, there are more areas in my mind than this place?” Ranma asked with a blink as he glanced around. He felt kind of stupid not knowing that, but put it with the fact that he only used the area he was in now. He never tried to venture to other places.

The other two currently residing in Ranma’s mind sweat-dropped, but Cheriko managed to recover first. “I’m telling you that there’s no reason to worry. It’s 100 percent certain that it won’t happen.” The panther then gave a feline smile. “Besides, it’s just a mental issue. I may only be a figment of the Neko-ken brought on by your subconscious imagination, Ranma, but even I know that it would take some kind of strange outside interference or some kind of inside issue with the technique ritual itself. There was none, and as I am the figment of the Neko-ken, I’d be aware if something like that were to happen. How could a mental figment bring over any physical changes without the help of magic or some other trigger?”

Shego and Ranma glanced at each other and shrugged. It did make a lot of sense when they thought about it. Cheriko was only a mental figment with nothing to bring over to the physical side like a certain ex-villain henchwoman did. As such, there’d be no reason to worry about turning into some kind of freak. “That’s true.” They both responded in unison. “You know, I wonder if there is anybody out there in their right mind that wouldn’t have a problem with becoming some kind of cat-freak.” Shego continued as she turned her attention to Ranma.

The raven-haired teen chuckled in response. The very thought of it was absurd, but if there was anybody out there -- besides that android girl Nuku Nuku -- who was stuck with being a cat-person, then his condolences went out to whoever they were.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In an alternate universe located somewhere within the fabric of space and time, a 12-year-old redhead with blue and red dual-colored eyes was focused on a mini-laptop computer that was floating right in front of her. She was heading home after lasting through her first year of a magic school called Hogwarts. Just as she was about to press a button, a powerful sneeze rocked body and caused her to punch the wrong key. As she wiped her nose, the red fur on her cat-ears and tail stood up in agitation. “Someone must be talking about me. Whoever it was, they caused me to lose the test assignment Washu told me to do! I was working for an hour on that damn thing!” Ranma growled out as she dismissed her laptop and cursed whoever it was that caused her to sneeze.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In another alternate dimension, a small black-furred kitten sneezed as he was being held by a woman with auburn hair. “That was quite a vicious sneeze, dear.” The woman stated. “Maybe there’s someone talking about you.”

“Maybe” Ranma answered back with a sniff. The only thing he really cared about, though, was getting back to human form. ‘I need to figure out a way to keep from getting stuck in this form.’

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back in the current reality, Ranma’s eyes suddenly snapped open as he shot up straight in his bed. The Saotome teen sat there for a few moments before sighing. Just before he had awoken, he was working on trying to get used to two cats at one time. He managed to do relatively well, but then Cheriko had to end up adding a third feline to the mix. ‘You know, I really do hate cats. At this speed, it’ll take forever before I can stand to be around FIVE.’

‘Oh please, why don’t you act like the man you’re SUPPOSED to be?’ Shego responded with a ‘smirk’. The mental figment’s comment received an indignant reply from her host. ‘Anyway, I think you have more important matters to get to today. I believe it has something to with that fantastic Japanese tradition of being cut open and beheaded.’

‘You know, those actually sound like the words of a masochist. You weren’t one in secret, were you?’

Ranma could have sworn that Shego rolled her eyes. ‘I was a SADIST. Destructive tendencies, love of humiliating and demeaning people, destructive weaponry, and all that other fun stuff.’ There was a long pause before the voice spoke back up. ‘We REALLY need to do some mindless destruction sometime. Come on, Ranma, we NEED to create some mayhem. It’s been so long since we’ve actually destroyed something, and I haven’t committed any true acts of acts of evil since I burned parts of the Amazon village right before I drowned! Monkey Fist doesn’t count!’

Ranma had to sweat-drop as he listened to Shego go crazy over not causing any large-scale mayhem. The weird part of it all was that he actually felt some of the urge as well. He actually wanted to break into some high-security industry, cause total destruction, steal a valuable artifact, and just go crazy with it. ‘Well, it IS kind of boring around here right now. I’ll tell you what, we can think up some kind of madcap mayhem later on.’

Shego thought the idea over a little. ‘Sounds promising, but the way you phrase it makes us sound like some stupid cartoon characters. Jeez, the next thing you know, you’ll be calling it the ‘Madcap Misadventures of Shego and Ranma!’

‘Hey, why does your name get top billing?’ Ranma protested with a frown.

‘Because I have all the brains in our so called relationship.’ The statement caused her host to grumble about disrespectful voices. ‘Anyway, it’s time to stop pussy-footing around and get a move on. You won’t be able to reunite with ‘mommy dearest’ by standing around and talking to the voice in your head.’

‘You’re really in an odd mood today. It must be that time of the month or something.’

‘I’m a mental figment, genius. I don’t have the ‘luxury’ of experiencing the ‘wonders’ of nature.’ Shego soon started to chuckle evilly. ‘Of course, YOU happen to be overdue for YOURS.’ The statement caused Ranma to halt in his tracks. ‘Oh, and it’d be your first, won’t it. I’m sure you’ll absolutely love it! The cramps, the bloating, the muscle pain! And a few other things you’ll have to wait to find out about.’

Shivering over the thought of it and Shego’s evil chuckling, the young Saotome decided to drop the argument as he made his way to his apartment door. After inspecting to see if there was anybody in the outside hallway, Ranma stepped out and locked his door. He didn’t feel like explaining who he was to anybody who didn’t know him.

“Morning, Ranma!” An energetic voice shouted. Ranma turned his head to see that it was Hinako. The brown-haired teacher was currently in her child form and holding a rather large lollipop. The thing that really stood out was the puffy and cute panda hat that was sitting on top of her head. “How are you doing today?”

“I’m doing as well as one can be when they have a sarcastic and PMSing voice in the back of their heads.” The statement actually caused said voice to shout out in indignation.

Hinako blinked rapidly as she thought over what her friend had just said. “It can happen to voices as well?”

“Seems so.” Ranma answered back with barely suppressed amusement. “So, what’s with the-- um-- panda hat?” The hat actually went well with Hinako’s child form, but it would look awkward as hell if she were to transform.

The diminutive teacher grabbed the side of her hat. “Oh, this? I had to get it yesterday after catching sight of the most adorable panda! It was walking around town, but it ran away after I asked it to play!” Hinako pouted when Ranma started to laugh. “Hey, what’s so funny?!”

“Th-- that panda you’re talking about was most likely my old man!” The young Saotome managed to get out.

Hinako’s eyes became wide and shiny. “Your father’s a panda?! That’s so cool! I want to meet him again sometime.” The girl whined out as she tugged on Ranma’s hand. “C’mon Ranma, let’s go see hi--m!”

“Hey-- wait a moment! I have more important things to do today than going to see the lazy panda.”

Hinako let go, crossed her arms, and pouted. “What could be more important than an adorable panda?”

‘Yeah, adorable, and I’m the president of a big video game company.’ Ranma thought dryly before answering the girl’s question. “I’m going to visit and see my mother for the first time in over 10 years. I think that’s a bit more important than visiting an ‘adorable panda’. Don’t you?”

The tiny teacher nodded quickly. “That is important! Alright, you don’t have to take me to see your father. However, I want you to take me to see him next time.” Hinako stated with determination. “Because I want to feel that soft panda fur again!” She squealed out in excitement.

Ranma stared at her with half-lidded eyes. “Um-- right.” It was too hard to follow the girl sometimes. ‘It looks like pops actually has an admirer.’ He thought with amusement as he said his goodbyes to Hinako and made his way towards the roof. He still needed to get some morning practice in before doing anything else.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sitting on the roof of a house, Ranma glanced down at the paper he held in his hand. As it turned out, the address that he had obtained from the letter that he had found in his father’s traveling pack was a dead end. It seemed that the house that used to be there was torn down and turned into a 7-Eleven. He had to restrain himself so he didn’t end up causing massive property damage to the convenience store. Part of him wondered if his father actually knew about that issue, and that was the reason why the damn panda didn’t try harder to stop him. His father didn’t think he could find and get in touch with the woman.

The fact that he hit the dead end wasn’t enough to stop him. Ranma had used a phone book from the convenience store to look up and see if the name Nodoka Saotome was listed anywhere in it. There were five different Saotomes, but luckily, there was one Nodoka, and that allowed Ranma to write it down on a slip of paper and continue on his search for his mother’s house. It didn’t take long for him to find his way to the spot he was now sitting at.

The pale teen leapt off of the roof and made his way to the front entrance. ‘I should ring the doorbell, right? I mean, what if she’s not home, or if this is another dead end?’ Ranma thought as he nervously toyed around with his braid. He had absolutely no clue as to why he was suddenly feeling so nervous.

‘Just ring the damn doorbell already, jeez!’ Shego answered back in annoyance. ‘What, suddenly you turn into a little kid just because you’re going to meet a person you haven’t seen in over 10 years? The worst she could do is try to lop off your head.’

‘Yeah, that fills me with tons of confidence.’ Ranma answered back dryly as he took a deep breath and raised a finger to the doorbell. After the young Saotome pushed the button, he dropped his arm and waited for an answer.

It didn’t take long before the door slid open to reveal a kimono-clad woman in her late 30’s with auburn-colored hair. A few clips were used to keep her hair in the back short. “Yes?” The woman asked softly as she stared at the teen. “How may I help you?”

“Nodoka Saotome?” Ranma managed as he tried to retain his calm.

Nodoka slowly nodded. “I’m Nodoka Saotome, but may I ask who you are?”

‘Well, it’s comforting to know that you take more after her in looks than that damn panda.’ Shego observed. ‘At least it looks like the gene pool likes you. Why? I have no idea.’

‘Very funny.’ Ranma answered back in annoyance before a small smile appeared on his lips. “It’s great to finally see you again, mom.” The Saotome teen finished with a short bow. He raised his head when his mother touched his cheek with her hand. “Uh-- mom?” Ranma asked in concern when he noticed that the woman wasn’t moving or saying anything. Suddenly, he found himself almost bowled over as she wrapped him up in a tight hug.

“Ranma, I can’t believe you came!” Nodoka managed to say amidst her crying. “Here, let me take a look at you!” The Saotome matriarch pulled away and held her son at arm’s length. “You’ve grown so much, and you look so strong and manly.” Nodoka’s smile fell a little. “But you look so pale. You aren’t ill or anything, are you?”

Ranma waved his hand as another smile appeared on his lips. “Nah, I’m as healthy as can be. I’m just pale due to a side-effect of some abilities I’ve gained.”

“I’m so glad.” Nodoka responded with relief. Her eyes widened as she placed her hand to her mouth. “Oh, where are my manners? Come on in out of the cold and make yourself comfy. I’ll make some hot tea, and then we can get to know each other.” Nodoka joyfully guided her son into the house and towards the sitting room. “I’m so glad to finally see you, Ranma.” The auburn-haired woman stated as she left Ranma near the kotatsu and made her way to the kitchen. It wasn’t long before she returned. “Your father would frequently write letters to me detailing how you were and your progress.”

‘Then why did he have that other address in his pack? Maybe he always had a fear that I’d find an address, and so he planted that one. Nah, that’s giving him too much credit.’ Ranma thought as he nodded and glanced around the room. It didn’t have all that much in the way of content. There was a storage cupboard near the back wall, and in the corner of the room was a small television set. Other than that, there were some hanging decorations on the wall and a small basket for holding magazines and books. “I didn’t know that pops would frequently send letters to you. If I did, I would have written something as well.” Ranma stated as he accepted a cup of tea.

Nodoka’s smile became happier as she continued to speak. “I wish he would have continued to send me letters, but they stopped coming just before the two of you visited some place called Jusenkyou.” Nodoka placed a finger to her cheek as another thought crossed her mind. “Now that I mention it, Ranma, where IS your father right now?”

“No need to worry about him, mom.” Ranma answered with a wave of his hand. He was feeling slightly peeved over the fact that his father continued to write to his mother until recently, and he didn’t even know it. He really needed to have a ‘talk’ with the man sometime. “He’s lazing around at the Tendo Dojo.”

The name sounded familiar to the Saotome matriarch. “Isn’t Tendo the name of the man who was a training partner of your father?” Ranma nodded in response as he took a sip of his tea. “Well, then onto more important matters of discussion. I want to hear from YOU about some of the key points on your journey. Your father’s letters were vague at best. He would usually just write about where you two were at during the time and your progress. Sometimes he would mention how you were doing, and that you were having fun learning.”

“Well, maybe we can fill in the gaps.” Ranma responded with a smile. He wasn’t really fond with talking about his personal life, but since he was finally in touch with his mother, he felt no problem with talking to her. As Ranma had expected, his father had sugar-coated a lot of things concerning the training trip. As he corrected what he could remember, his mother showed constant disappointment and annoyance in knowing that he outright hated the trip sometimes.

“Ranma,” Nodoka finally responded with a deep frown and a vice grip on her cup of tea, “Remind me to talk to your father about his inability to read training manuals thoroughly. From your story, he seems to have gained a terrible track record of jumping straight to teaching you a technique instead of reading first.” The Neko-ken training sounded like a downright idiotic move as well, and she would talk to Genma about it. “And I’ll also have to have a talk with him about his constant theft of your food. Stealing food from his own SON!”

“Sure.” Ranma replied with a smirk. Said smirk then fell into a frown. “You mentioned that the last letter you got was right before we arrived at a place called Jusenkyou, right?”

“That was the last letter I received. When no more letters came, I feared that the both of you had died at that place.” The Saotome matriarch responded in a soft voice. “I’m so glad it didn’t happen. However, from your tone, I sense that something did end up happening. Am I right, son?”

Her son gave a slow nod. He didn’t want to tell her what happened at the place, but felt it was probably better that he did. “Mom, before I explain it to you, could I have some hot and cold water?”

Nodoka thought of it as an odd request, but nodded as she went and fetched the water. She returned about a minute later and set the glasses in front of her son. “Why do you need the water?”

“It’s for a small demonstration.” Ranma answered as he grabbed the cold water and stood up. “You see, mom, Jusenkyou is a secluded training ground that hardly anybody uses. The place is filled with a hellish amount of springs, and sprouting out of them are bamboo poles.”

“Why doesn’t anybody use it? It sounds like a fine place for a martial artist to build up balance. The water will be there to keep the person from getting hurt if they fall.” Nodoka asked curiously.

“It’s because the place is cursed.” Ranma answered quickly. “Each spring is imprinted with the last thing that drowned within its waters. If someone falls into one of those springs, then they take the form of whatever drowned there last. Hot water reverses the curse, but only until the victim gets hit by cold water again.”

Nodoka stared incredulously at her son. “You aren’t serious, are you?” At Ranma’s slow and serious nod, the auburn-haired woman began to worry. “W-- What spring did you fall into, dear?” Several thoughts began running through her head as strange creature after strange creature popped up.

“One with a very misleading title.” Ranma commented as he dumped the contents of the glass over his head and started to shift form. Nodoka watched as her 16-year-old son transformed into a 20-something-year-old woman. “I fell into the Spring of Drowned Demon Woman. The one who drowned, however, wasn’t a demon. She just had some special abilities.” For emphasis, Ranma’s power sprung to life in her hands. She then dismissed the green energy a moment later. “So-- um-- I guess you’d like a moment to take in the information?” She asked when she noticed how shocked her mother was.

The Saotome matriarch sat petrified as she tried to register the events that had happened just now. She had just been reunited with her son after over 10 years, but then she learned that he had a curse that turned him into a woman. “So,” Nodoka began in a sad voice as she reached for the bundle that she held at her side, “my husband has failed in making you the manly son that he promised.”

“Are you talking about that seppuku contract I learned about a few days ago?” Ranma asked as he watched his mother slowly pull a katana out from inside the cloth.

“So you know about the contract.” Nodoka stated solemnly as she stood up. There were obvious traces of tears at the corner of her eyes. “You did appear to be manly when you got here, but then you revealed your curse.”

Ranma narrowed her eyes. “So you’re saying that just because I’m able to turn into a woman due to a curse, I automatically fail to live up to the expectations of a piece of paper? I want to see this so-called contract.” Her mother nodded as she pulled out the contract and placed it on the table. Ranma glanced at it before casting her eyes back to her mother. An incredulous look was plastered on her face. “That’s it? The so-called seppuku contract that you base your storybook expectations on is a damn piece of paper with simple writing and some handprints?”

Nodoka frowned at the attitude she was receiving from her child. “Written on it is a promise of honor that your father wrote out. You also agreed to it as well. See the handprints you used to sign?” The Saotome matriarch pointed to the mess of handprints towards the bottom. “But it seems as if both you and your father failed to live up to the prom--”

“I was practically an infant at the time!” Ranma shouted as she slammed her hands onto the table. The glass with the hot water fell over and spilled onto the surface. “How the hell can an infant agree to sign a friggin’ contract? Hell, how can you accept said friggin’ contract that has a bunch of handprints and writing that doesn’t go into detail about WHAT being a man among men is? Do you honestly believe in that shit?”

“Watch your mouth young… lady.” Nodoka scolded. “This contract was written with honor, and you are bound to the honor of the contract as well. You may have been a child, but you agreed to it. Without honor, there is only disgrace.”

“Yeah, people will REALLY care about it once we’re dead.” Ranma responded dryly. “I can see it now. ‘Oh, Hiromi, did you hear about the Saotomes?’ ‘No I didn’t, Nezumi, what happened?’ ‘They had to commit seppuku because they disgraced the all powerful Deity of Honor.’ ‘Oh, that’s too bad, but may the sins of their dishonor be washed away with their untimely and needless deaths over long dead traditions’.”

Within the aquatransexual’s mind, Shego was laughing her non-existent head off. That comeback actually filled the mental figment with some kind of pride that she couldn’t explain.

Within the next five seconds, Nodoka had immediately shot to her feet, pulled her hand back, and responded to the sarcastic comment with a hard and fast slap to the side of her son-turned-daughter’s face. The slap was hard enough to cause a loud and painful echo throughout the house. “Don’t you DARE say that honor is worthless. No child of mine would EVER say that.” The Saotome matriarch growled out as she pulled her hand back. Nodoka suddenly stopped, stared at the palm of her hand, and realized just WHAT she had just done. She had just struck her own child that she only just met after 10 years in a moment of anger. “R-- Ranma?”

Ranma stood completely still as she stared at the right-hand wall. The force of the slap had managed to turn her head to the side so fast that it actually took a minute to register that she wasn’t looking at her mother anymore. Bringing her hand up to her cheek, Ranma could feel the spot where she had been slapped. Then, her currently dulled mind registered what her mother had just said. She couldn’t feel any anger at the moment. All she could feel was numbness. “Maybe you’re right.”

“W-- What?” Nodoka asked softly. It was hard to find her voice at the moment.

“You said that no child of yours would ever say that honor -- even when it’s blind and obsessed honor -- was ‘worthless’ and stupid. So just maybe--”

“No!” Her mother shouted. “Ranma, I didn’t mean--”

“You’ve made it very clear with that slap you gave me along with what you said.” Still feeling strangely numb, Ranma turned around and waved her hand dismissively. “I guess I’m out of here. You can continue to live in your fantasy world all you want, MOM. Be sure to say hello to the unicorns and rainbow pixies for me at your next tea party though.” The pale woman had to stop in her tracks when the blade of a sword appeared next to her neck.

“Ranma, I don’t want you to leave me again. Stay here with me. We can talk this over, and--”

“And then get pops over here so we can kill ourselves as one big sap-happy family, right?” Ranma asked sarcastically. “Is the honor of a slip of paper that holds no meaning worth more than getting back together with your own… child?” The physically 23-year-old turned around quickly to face her mother. “Do you actually WANT to kill your only child to fulfill a contract… that…” Ranma trailed off as she stared at her quietly crying mother.

“N-- No, I don’t want t-- to.” The Saotome matriarch choked out between sobs. She was unsteady on her feet and couldn’t keep her extended arm straight and stiff. “B-- But it’s about h-- honor, and it’s a-- all I’ve had for all these years. I-- I can’t just let go of it. I also d-- don’t want to see you leave. Please Ranma, don’t go and leave me alone again.”

Ranma’s eyes softened a little at the sight. “Mom, I was glad to actually see you after so many years. Hell, I would have given almost anything to actually be with you, but I just can’t agree with this stupid seppuku crap, and you made it pretty clear earlier about your honor. It does pain me to say this,” she said as she slowly walked up to her mother, “but until you can come to your senses and back to reality, I don’t think we should even see each other again.” Raising her index finger, Ranma pushed out some of her power and pressed her finger against her mother’s forehead.

“Ranma, please--” Nodoka’s eyes closed as she fell into her son-turned-daughters arms fast asleep. Ranma then proceeded to pick the woman up and carry her upstairs. It wasn’t long before she found her mother’s bedroom and entered. The pale martial artist gently deposited the sleeping woman into a futon.

‘Sorry mom, but this honestly hurts me more than it does you.’ Ranma thought as she left the room. As she made her way downstairs and back into the sitting room, Ranma’s eyes fell onto the seppuku contract. As she stared at the dreaded piece of paper, her fists began to clench as green energy sprouted around her hands. ‘Damn it, how the hell did it go so wrong?!’ She asked with clenched teeth.

‘I’d say right after the slap when you suddenly became Miss No-Emotions and started acting on auto-pilot.’ Shego responded. ‘It was almost like you weren’t even there, and I couldn’t even contact you or anything.’

Cursing to herself, Ranma decided that it was probably best to just leave. She was feeling a need to break or maim something or someone and needed to get out of there before it happened.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Hey, Wego.” One of the twins stated as he glanced around from his vantage point in a tree. “Do you see anything yet?”

“Negative, Wego.” The other answered back from a bush a few meters away. It sounded like there was a frustrated tone in his voice. “How hard is it to find-- wait, I think I found her! Yeah, I found Shego!”

“Alright!” His brother shouted as he found his hiding spot and peeked out of it. “That’s her alright, and she looks angrier than usual.”

The two watched as their sister stalked her way down the sidewalk across the street. There was a barely restrained fury in her eyes, and the energy around her hands was thrashing wildly. “Wonder what could have set her off this time.” The Wego twins stated softly at the same time. They suddenly started to sweat when Shego glared in their direction.

The left twin was the first to whisper. “You don’t think she knows we’re here, do you? I don’t want to have my butt kicked!”

“I don’t want mine kicked either. Come on, let’s get out of here and come back when she’s cooled down a little. We also need to contact Hego and Mego to tell them…” The right twin stopped when they noticed that their sister was pointing her hands towards them and powering up a blast.

Panicking over the thought of being painfully blasted, Wego quickly hopped out from behind the bushes. “Wait, don’t shoot!”

The energy in Ranma’s hands dissipated as she attempted to figure out who the two in red were. Her brain suddenly latched onto some of Shego’s memories and information regarding the two. Ranma managed to identify the duo as Shego’s brothers, Wego. “What do you want?” She asked in annoyance.

‘Crap, now my brothers are going to be around.’ Shego groaned with a sigh.

“Hey, Shego.” Wego 1 greeted nervously. “It’s-- um-- good to see you again.”

“We’ve all been looking for you since we heard that whole thing about you returning from that trip to the past and all.” Wego 2 added with a weak smile. “Is this the city you’re living in now?”

“It’s none of your business.” Ranma answered stiffly. She REALLY wasn’t in the mood for this. “Now go away and leave me alone so I can destroy something.” The aquatransexual ordered as she turned around and began stalking away. The twins -- ignoring their better judgment -- followed close behind. It didn’t take long before Ranma became fed up and quickly spun around. “What the hell do you WANT?”

“Just to talk!” Wego announced at once as they held their hands up in a warding gesture. It was obvious that their sister was in her right state of mind. Wego 1 decided to continue. “If you’re living here, does it mean--”

“--that you’ve given up being an evil villain?” Wego 2 ended.

Ranma glared at the two for a long moment before a sinister smile appeared on her lips. She figured that it was a good moment to have some fun. “I don’t know.” Ranma answered as she formed a scythe out of her power. She wasn’t going to hurt them, just freak them out a little. “Maybe this will answer your question.” The 23-year-old swung the weapon a few times before bringing it to rest right beside her.

The twins’ jaws dropped at what they just witnessed. Their sister had just formed a weapon -- a rather painful-looking one at that -- out of her powers. “How did you--”

“Oh, I found out that I could form almost anything from my energy.” Ranma’s feet were soon enveloped with her energy as well. “I’ve also,” the pale woman shot towards the twins and halted right behind them, “found out that I can do some interesting things with my feet.” Ranma finished as she placed the scythe right near the left twin’s neck. “Aren’t you curious to see how well this blade can slice, Wego?” She asked in a low and intimidating whisper.

The Wego twins couldn’t find their voices. They probably could have tried to multiply and escape, but the scythe blade was too close. Their only hope was for someone to come along and help them.

Their prayers were answered a second later when a voice yelled out. “Knock it off!” This was followed by a fist colliding with Ranma’s skull. The punch caused her to lose focus on her energy and allow the weapon to fizzle out.

Clutching her head, Ranma turned around and glared at Kim. The younger girl had her arms crossed and was returning the glare. Ron was over greeting Wego and talking about how it was great to see them again. “What the hell did you do that for? I was only having a little fun!”

“And of course ‘fun’ means freaking people out and holding them at blade-point, right?” The redhead asked dryly before turning her attention to the twins and smirked. “Don’t worry, R-- Shego’s more bark than bite lately. She may still be a violent and ill-tempered maniac, but she’s toned down since moving here taking up a teaching job.”

“I’ll show you more bark than bite, Miss I’m-sexually-confused-and-easily-distracted!”

A faint tinge of pink appeared on Kim’s cheeks. “Oh puh-lease, I am NOT sexually confused.” She stated with a rolling of her eyes. “Anybody would become confused and embarrassed after their arch-nemesis becomes drunk and kisses them.” Kim suddenly cursed herself for accidentally letting slip that embarrassing tidbit of information.

“Shego kissed Kim Possible?” The twins asked with shocked expressions. “Could that mean that--”

“Aaaaactually,” Ron interrupted with a laugh, “She was just really REALLY drunk. She was acting all crazy and giddy. It was so weird to see!”

“Makes sense.” Wego 2 stated as he glanced at his brother. “Shego--”

“--Always did get drunk easily when she had any kind of alcohol.” Wego 1 finished with a nod. “But you know, it’s great to see that sis has decided to actually stop being a villain and taken up a real job!”

“And it’s about time that she actually used that degree in child development for something!” Wego 2 shouted happily. “Wait until we tell Hego and Mego. I’m sure Hego will be absolutely thrilled over it!”

Ranma’s eye twitched for a moment as some of Shego’s memories of the two older Team Go brothers entered her mind “Now wait just a minute!” The aquatransexual was caught completely off guard when both of the twins embraced her in a hug. Ranma’s brain was having trouble coming up with a solution to her current predicament, and Shego’s constant inaudible grumbling wasn’t helping any. By the time she did think of something, Wego had already let go and were running off so they could try and get in touch with their older brothers.

“K.P, I think they somehow broke Ranma.” Ron commented as he waved his hand in front of Saotome’s face. “Hellooooo! Is anybody there?”

Ranma answered by tightly grabbing hold of the blond boy’s wrist and pushing it away. “Great, now I’m going to have Shego’s brothers thinking I’m their sister. Thanks a lot, Kimmie. If you hadn’t interfered, I probably could have just scared them away. It’s bad enough that some of YOUR enemies appear and try and recruit me.”

“If I hadn’t interfered,” Kim began with a hand on her hip and the other pointing directly at the older woman, “they probably would have reacted and got killed by the blade in the process.”

“That’s true.” The 23-year-old responded as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I suppose I DID go a little overboard with the Shego-ness.” She really did need to gain some more control when she felt the need to do certain things like that. ‘Jeez, thanks for the mental imbalance, Shego.’

‘Hey, I can’t help it our personalities end up coming into conflict and sometimes cause you to act irrationally.’ The figment answered back with a mental shrug. ‘It’ll most likely take a while for our personalities to fully mix and settle. It would be nice if it could just be instantaneous, but that’d probably cause your brain to literally cease function.’

“Also,” Kim began as her voice broke through their mental conversation, “you technically ARE their sister. You became Shego when you fell into the spring, and Wade even identified your D.N.A as Shego’s. Your birth form’s D.N.A also has enough similarities to actually make you related.”

“Hego’s also a cool guy.” Ron added. “He’ll probably consider you a relation because you DO become Shego.”

“Yeah!” Rufus shouted.

Ranma stood in silence as she thought it over. It was true, actually. She WAS Shego whenever hit by cold water. It meant that the members of Team Go were as much a relation to her as her parents. That line of thought, however, caused her visage to darken. There was a possibility that they, too, could react badly to the truth. “SHEGO had brothers. RANMA does not. So do me a favor and drop it, Kimmie.” Ranma commanded with force.

“It sounds like SOMEONE woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

“Oh, that’s a good one. How about you go--”

“FORE!”

“Huh?” Ranma asked as she turned her head to the source of the shout and caught sight of a golf ball hitting the ground a couple meters away before exploding. “Ok, who the hell is it this time?”

A voice with a heavy Scottish accent answered back. “I guess ya really did lose your memory if ya can’t remember who I am.” The dust cleared to show a medium-sized man in Scottish-style clothing that included a kilt.

Ron decided to shout out the obvious. “It’s Duff Killigan!”

“Hey, wait, are you speaking Japanese?” Kim asked as she glanced at her translator device. “I didn’t know you could speak it.”

“Of course I can speak Japanese. How in the world would I be able to play Golf here in Japan if I couldn’t?” Killigan asked in annoyance before turning his attention to Ranma. “Shego, how would ya like to join up with the World’s Most Dangerous Golfer? I could be a better employer that Dr. Drakken ever was.”

Ranma raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the bearded man. “You honestly think someone would join you when you go around spouting that you’re a ‘dangerous golfer’? Maybe you could be taken seriously if you lose the skirt.”

“IT’S NOT A SKIRT!! IT’S A KILT!!” Killigan shouted in outrage as he reached for a golf ball. “Golf balls can be evil and deadly too! Do I have to refresh your memory?” The Scotsman asked as he quickly pulled out a ball, but the ball slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground where it rolled over to Ranma. As soon as it reached her, the ball exploded. “That-- uh-- wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Well it did!” Ranma managed to get out as she coughed through the smoke. “First I had to deal with a freak using exploding pineapples, and now I have to deal with one pelting me with exploding golf balls! What’s next, exploding okonomiyaki?”

“Would it help to say I was sorry?” Killigan asked nervously. It was never a good thing when somebody made Shego angry.

“No” Ranma stated simply as she walked up slowly to the man and called forth her power.

“N-- now hold on a moment. I’m sure we can talk this out-- wait, stop!” Killigan’s shouts of pain soon echoed throughout the streets. “THAT DOESN’T BEND LIKE THAT!!”

“K.P, shouldn’t we be stopping her before she does something REALLY bad to him?” Ron asked nervously as he pointed his thumb towards the scene. Rufus poked his head out of his pocket to see what was going on.

“Normally I’d say yes, but it seemed as if Ranma was looking for a way to vent some frustration. Besides, Killigan did hit her with an exploding golf ball.” Kim noticed the look her friend was giving her. “C’mon Ron, she won’t kill him. Severely maim maybe, but not kill.”

“NOT THE GOLF CLUB!!”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Well, I sure feel better.” Ranma stated happily as she walked alongside Kim and Ron. Twirling around in her hand was Duff Killigan’s tam o’shanter that the aquatransexual had pilfered from the man after beating him unconscious and tossing him away. Placing the Scottish hat onto her head, Ranma gave a small smirk. “So, not bad, huh?”

“It looks kind of-- uh-- weird.” Ron answered before tilting his head. “Nope, still looks kind of awkward.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” The 23-year-old replied as she pulled the cap off her head and tossed it into the air. This was followed by an energy blast from her hand that destroyed it. “So where were you guys headed earlier?”

Kim reached into the bag she was carrying. “We were actually going to go skating.” She pulled out a pair of light blue ice skates.

Ron laughed as he pulled Rufus out from his pocket. “Yeah, Rufus wants to show off his own ability.” The naked mole rate was wearing a tiny red scarf and wool cap. On his feet were actual red mini skates just for his size.

“Bring it on!” The small creature yelled with a fist raised into the air.

Ranma still wondered how the little creature could speak every now and then. Of course, it wasn’t any weirder than her curse and what was tied to it. “Well then, I’ll leave you two to have fun.” She said as she prepared to walk off.

Kim grabbed the currently older woman by the arm. “Hey, maybe you can join us.” She offered. “Come on, it could be fun.”

“Way better than smashing people’s heads in.” Ron commented with a nod. “You know, that sounds kind of weird.”

Ranma ignored the blond boy’s comment and began walking away again. “Sorry, I have no interest in skating. It would be a complete waste of my time.”

A smirk began to grow on Kim’s lips. “Let’s leave her be, Ron. She probably can’t even skate.”

Ranma’s ear almost seemed to twitch in response at the accusation. Turning her head, the pale woman glanced at the redhead. “What did you just say, PRINCESS?”

The younger girl crossed her arms and continued to smirk. “It’s just as I said, SHEILA. Just now, you acted as if you were trying to avoid the idea of skating. I know a certain ex-nemesis of mine could skate, but can YOU?”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Is Rufus naked?”

“Hey!” The small mole rat shouted in indignation.

Ron gave his friend a pat on the head. “It’s alright, Rufus. Your nakedness is cool.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

‘You seem kind of wobbly at the moment, Ranma. Don’t tell me you can’t do it.’ Shego observed in amusement. ‘It seems kind of… embarrassing.’

Ranma scoffed back as she stood on the ice. Her legs were shaking slightly, but she was still standing. ‘I just need to get used to standing on these things on the ice. I’ll be skating like a pro soon.’

‘You mean like Kimmie and the rat? They’re practically skating circles around you.’

“Come on, Sheila.” Kim commented in amusement as she stopped right next to the older woman. Since they were in public, they decided to use Ranma’s alias. “It’s no big. All you have to do is at least move around a little.”

“So there IS something you can’t do!” A voice commented from behind the duo. Both turned around to see Akane sitting at one of the tables on the other side of the low wall. Sitting with her were her friends Yuka and Sayuri. “I’m sure you could learn a few things from Kim, Sheila.”

Ranma managed to make her way over to the wall. “Very funny, Akane. I can manage just fine on my own. I just need to get my balance.”

“You shouldn’t feel bad if you can’t skate, Go-san.” Yuka stated with a comforting smile. “Akane is also a fantastic skater, so maybe she can help as well.” Across from the girl, Akane was trying to keep from laughing.

“I can skate just fine. I don’t need anybody’s help!” The 23-year-old answered as she pushed away from the wall. However when she pushed off she didn't keep her skates under and landed hard on her butt. “Nobody laugh.” the aquatransexual growled as she brought her hand up. “Don’t any of you dare laugh.”

Kim placed a finger on her cheek and gained a thoughtful expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sheila.”

“AAAAHHHH!! Crazy skater lady!” Everyone turned their heads towards the source of the shout and Ron skating clumsily their way. Rufus was held in a tight grip and also seemed to be slightly panicked. The reason for this was due to a girl with long curly brown hair chasing after them. “She’s trying to steal Rufus!”

“It’s my little Armand!” The girl yelled out in an overly cute voice. “Give back my little Armand!”

Ron managed to successfully stop next to Kim and turn around. “No way, lady! Rufus has been my buddy since I got him when he was a baby.” Ron had to jump out of the way of the girl’s fist. “Whoa! You know K.P; we always seem to run into weird and scary people.”

“You just now noticed?” Kim asked as she knocked the girl’s hand away.

“Well, no.”

“It’s my widdle Armand! Give him back!” The girl shouted again and tried to throw another punch, only to have her fist grabbed by Ranma. “Let me go, you meanie! I want my Armand!”

As she stood up, Ranma used her other hand to massage her forehead. “Will you knock it off? You’re giving me a headache with your banshee screams.” Ranma commented as she glared at the younger girl. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”

“I’m Azusa Shiratori! Now let me go so I can get my widdle--” Azusa halted in her speech when she saw green flames spring to life around the pale woman’s free hand. The skater wisely decided that being quiet for the moment was a good idea. She didn’t want the scary woman to use that strange fire-like stuff on her.

“Good, it looks like you can be trained.” Ranma said with a smirk as she lowered her hand and canceled her power. “The little hairless rat is not, and I repeat, NOT yours. Do I have to repeat myself here, Azusa?”

“N-- No you don’t.” The girl in pink said softly. She grabbed her wrist when Ranma let it go and glared at the pale woman. She was secretly planning a way to try and get back at the scary woman who threatened her and wouldn’t give her Armand. With increasing determination, Azusa leveled a teary glare towards Ranma. “I challenge--”

A male voice interrupted Azusa’s challenge proposal. “My, my, it’s Kim Possible.” Ranma turned her head to see a tall man with short dark hair skate up to the redhead. He lightly pushed Ron out of the way and smiled. “It is such a pleasure to be with company such as yours. I have always wondered what it would be like to kiss the lips of the great Kim Possible.” Ranma didn’t know it, but her eyes began to narrow as the man brought his hand up to Kim’s cheek.

“Ok, now that’s just WAY too disturbing.” Kim stated in disgust as she pushed the man’s hand away. The idea grossed her out more than the thought of Senor Senior Jr. being her ‘soul mate’ due to that stupid animology fad.

“Yeah, I mean, why would you obsess over kissing someone? That just makes you sound freaky.” Ron added with a raised eyebrow. “You’re not some kind of stalker, are you?”

“Please,” the man said in annoyance, “I am not a stalker. I, Mikado Sanzenin, and my partner, Azusa Shiratori, are the illustrious Golden Pair of Kolkhoz High School. Our freestyle skating is second to none. It is my goal in life to kiss 1,000 different women. No woman can resist a kiss from a charming man such as myself.”

Kim gave a sidelong glance to Ron. “Better add delusional to the list.” Her friend nodded in silent agreement.

“Don’t worry at all, Kim Possible.” Mikado replied as he lifted the redhead’s chin. “I can see that you would really like to receive my kiss, and so I will grace you with it.” He finished as he started lowering his head down.

He didn’t quite get there as a kick to the side of his face sent him flying across the ice until he crashed into a far wall. “You know,” Ranma commented as she landed and ran a finger across her nose, “among the many things I can’t stand are people who are obnoxious, stupid, sexist, and just plain delusional. You, my neurotic friend, are all of those put together. If I see you pulling that shit on her or anyone else, you can be sure that one of us will be the one bury you where you belong.” She finished with thumbs down. Kim, along with several other people, glanced at the aquatransexual and blinked.

Mikado stood up slowly and held his hand over his face where he had been kicked. “Really, did you have to kick me so hard?” He asked as he removed his hand to show a clear impression of the laces of an ice skate. “You remind me a lot of the boyfriends who have been annoyed at me for kissing their girl. It’s almost like you were an item or something.”

“Don’t go getting the wrong idea.” Kim interrupted with a hint of a blush. “She and I have no feelings for each other at all.” The redhead didn’t realize it, but a mischievous glint spring to life in Ranma’s green eyes.

The older woman appeared behind Kim and wrapped her arms around the younger. “Don’t be so shy, Pumpkin.” She said as she placed her heard near the girl’s ear. “I’m sure we could do well together.” The blush on Kim’s face increased, and everyone in the area began to stare. “We’re both in very good shape, and so I bet we could do wondrous things. Maybe even some wondrous things with whipped topping and rope.”

At that, Mikado, along with most of the males around the rink, suffered a massive nosebleed that knocked them backwards. Ron, on the other hand, scratched his head and wondered what whipped cream had to do with things. Akane, her friends, and everyone else blushed furiously.

Ranma laughed as she let go of a currently petrified Kim and backed up. “It worked! Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Final Attack: Perverted Fantasy of Doom. It seems to be a roaring success! Did you see your face, Kimmie?”

Kim shook herself out of her shock and turned to look at Ranma. “Th-- That was just some kind of martial arts fake-out you made up just now?” She was still blushing from the whole scene.

“Of course it was, Princess.” The older woman answered with her arms crossed. “Do you honestly think I would ever try and do something like that? Why would I ever want to?”

Kim continued to blush, but it was soon replaced by a smirk. “Too bad, it probably would have been fun.” She commented as she slid up to Ranma.

“W-- What?”

The redhead answered with a little mock shock. “Y-- You don’t think I’m attractive enough?” She asked by performing the dreaded Puppy-Dog Pout. “How could you play with such things like that, Sheila?”

“I-- Well-- I mean--” Ranma trailed off when she noticed that the Possible girl had started to laugh. Blushing furiously over having her joke thrown back at her, Ranma tried to grab Kim, but the younger girl dodged the grab and began skating off while still laughing. “Damn it, come back here!” The pale woman snarled as she chased the redhead.

“They’re both perverts.” Akane let out with a sigh. “Putting on a scene like that in public, really.”

“Well, at least there isn’t any property damage.” Ron said as he and Rufus sat at Akane’s table. “You know, I love these hot steam buns. This one has pizza stuff in it!”

“Yum!” Rufus shouted as he nibbled on his.

Akane had to grudgingly agree. “I guess you’re right about that.”

“Go-san seems to be skating really well now.” Sayuri noted as she and Yuka watched Ranma and Kim fight against each other on the ice.

Back in the rink, Mikado -- seemingly recovered from earlier -- jumped to his feet and turned to face the battling women. “But I still haven’t graced Kim Possible with a kiss!” He shouted in despair. It was obvious that he still had a one-track mind when it came to girls. “Perhaps the lovely woman with the pale skin would enjoy--”

“Oh blow it out your ass already!” Ranma shouted as she kneed Mikado in the face as she passed. “I’d rather kiss the backside of a horse than have your lips touch mine!” She was caught slightly off guard when the man managed to grab her by the hand.

“You are but a stubborn one.” The dark-haired teen admitted with a frown as he tried to put up with the stinging pain of the knee to his face. “But you SHALL assist me in breaking my record of 1,000 women kissed.” He said as he attempted to close the distance between them.

Ranma’s eyes narrowed dangerously as Mikado tried to lay a kiss on her. “Go to hell, you perverted freak!” Pushing herself forward, Ranma used her forehead to crush the idiot’s nose. Following up on this, she broke free and started attacking Mikado with a barrage of energy blasts. “You want a kiss? How about you kiss my fist as I lodge it down your throat?!” The pale woman shouted as she was about to fire another blast, but Kim grabbed her by the arms and began to pull her away. “Let me go, Kimmie! I’m not through kicking his ass!”

“He’s already unconscious, Sheila. I think you proved your point.”

“The bastard tried to kiss me!” Ranma shouted as she continued to struggle. “I should send him to the grave for that!”

Kim smirked in amusement. “I don’t know. You might have actually enjoyed the kiss.”

Ranma stopped struggling and turned her head. She couldn’t quite see the younger girl, but she still glared. “You did NOT just say that.”

“I did, and I’m sure there would be many people who’d probably find it as amusing as I do.” The redhead giggled a little. This was prime material she could use to tease the aquatransexual. After-all, she DID owe Ranma for all the teasing and confusion she previously went through before she learned of Ranma’s curse and all.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Ranma growled out.

“Well, I’ve got a web site, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

“Fine, I’ll calm down.” The young Saotome grumbled. Kim nodded with a smile and released her from the hold. “Crazy adventure nut.”

“Now that’s REAL mature.” The younger girl commented with a rolling of her eyes. Kim still needed to get used to the fact that even though the woman took the form of her ex-arch-nemesis, she was still just a teenaged boy with some Shego mixed in. “Come on, let’s go get some steam buns; unless you want to wait for your dear Mikado to recover and share some with you.”

“I SO hate you right now.”

“I’m glad. It means I’m doing my job correctly.”

xxA.Nxx

This chapter was rather difficult to do for some reason. The scenes wouldn’t come out properly, and the dialog was just being plain evil. I managed to beat it with a stick and get it to listen though. Hoorah!