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Yin and Yang

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma ½. I read stories on Fanfiction.net where Kuno, and in one case Kodachi, falls into Spring of Drowned Girl. I loved the idea so much, I thought I get in on it and write my own story. I advise anyone under the age of seventeen to not read this story and to back out now.

Chapter One- The Trip

“A training ground, you say?”

“Yes, Master Kuno. While I was spying on the Tendo house, I overheard Ranma Saotome say that he had spent some time in a training ground called Jusenkyo in China.”

“Perhaps my hated rival learned some tricks at Jusenkyo. If I were to train there, my already impressive skills would be formidable enough to vanquish Saotome. Only then would I win Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl.”

“An excellent plan, Master.”

“Of course it is. Now, pack my luggage. We are leaving for Jusenkyo immediately.”

“We, Master?”

“Yes. Surely, you didn’t think I would go to a foreign country without my faithful manservant.”

“Master, thank you.”

&&&&

Kuno gazed reverently at the landscape before him: Jusenkyo. He noticed the bamboo poles that stood high above countless pools of water. Surely, Ranma must have used those poles for agility training. How else could he, the Blue Thunder, fail to strike his foe when he could hit everyone else?

Kuno had to wait two weeks to come here. It took him and Sasuke half a day to travel to China and book a hotel room for the night. They both experienced a small case of jet lag from their journey. They found a guide the day after arriving in China who would lead them across the rugged mountains and pass the various villages to safely arrive at Jusenkyo.

Said guide stood a respectful and safe distance from the pool-riddled ground. Sasuke stood between Kuno and the guide. “Master Kuno, what kind of training do you plan to do?”

“I plan to train in a variety of areas. I will improve my agility here. This way I may be faster than Saotome.” With that pronouncement, Kuno leaped up and perched himself on one of the poles.

“Sir!” the guide cried out. “You no want to do that! Very bad you fall in spring!”

“Fool,” Kuno sneered. “I am not some clumsy oaf. I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furikan High School.”

Kuno closed his eyes and focused on maintaining his balance. It was somewhat tricky to stay balanced on these thin poles, but if Saotome could do it, so could he. As his balance stabilized, he envisioned Ranma standing before him, moving his fists with lightning speed. Still, perched on his pole, he moved his upper body from side to side, while his head swerved left, right, up, and down. To anyone else, it would look as if Kuno was doing some kind of weird dance.

He came out of his illusionary fight and began to leap from pole to pole, slowly at first, but then faster and faster as he became familiar with the distance between the poles, even though some were further apart than others. A couple of times, he almost slipped, but he used his forward momentum to propel himself to the next pole.

Sasuke watched Kuno in awe. They had not been at Jusenkyo very long and already Kuno was making good progress. “Master Kuno, keep going! You’re doing great!” he called.

Sasuke’s praise caused Kuno to lose his focus and concentration for just one second, but one second was all that was needed. The toe of his sandal graced the edge of the pole and Kuno flailed desperately to avoid falling. His effort was in vain as his foot slipped off the edge and he splashed into the pool below.

Chapter Two- Training While Cursed

“Master Kuno!” Sasuke exclaimed as he and the guide reached the water’s edge. Sasuke would have leaped in to rescue his master, if the guide hadn’t been holding on to his shirt.

“Oh, dear,” the guide said. “Sir fell in Nyannichuan-Spring of Drowned Girl. Very tragic story of girl who drown one thousand five hundred year ago. Now whoever fall in spring, take body of young girl.”

“What does that mean?” Sasuke demanded.

“It mean that young sir will change to girl when hit with cold water. When water warm or hot, sir be boy again.”

Sasuke swallowed hard. Neither one of them had known that Jusenkyo was so dangerous. Now, his master had fallen in a spring where cold water would turn him into a girl! If the guide hadn’t stopped him from going in, he too would have been cursed as well! “Isn’t there a cure?” he asked desperately.

The guide shook his head. “I sorry. There no cure.”

At that moment, the water’s surface was broken as a figure rose from the spring. It was a teenage girl with short blond hair, of medium height, a lean and somewhat muscular body, and fully-developed chest. In short, she was strikingly beautiful, except for the fearsome scowl she was directing at Sasuke. Suddenly, her fist whipped out and struck Sasuke’s head hard.

“You fool!” she yelled. “You made me lose my concentration!”

“I-I’m sorry…Mistress Kuno.”

“Mistress? Have you gone blind, Sasuke? I’m a man.”

“Not at moment, Sir,” the guide spoke up.

“What are you blathering about?” Kuno demanded, still oblivious to the sound of her voice and her new body.

“Jusenkyo known for it many cursed springs. Each has own tragic story. If someone fall in, they take body of whoever or whatever last drown there. You, sir, fall in Spring of Drowned Girl.”

Kuno felt like a block of ice had settled in her stomach at the guide’s pronouncement. A cold chill swept over her as she looked down at her chest. At the sight of her breasts, she screamed in horror and passed out.

&&&&

A hot sensation on his head brought Kuno to full wakefulness. He sat bolt upright and immediately looked himself over: Normal. He was normal. He then noticed he was in a small hut. Sasuke sat at a nearby table and standing over him with a steaming tea kettle was the guide.

“Oh, good. You awake,” the guide said.

“Master Kuno, are you all right?”

Kuno scowled at him. “Of course I’m not all right. Thanks to you, I’m cursed!”

“It is not all bad, Master. You see, if you’re splashed with cold water, you become a girl. Hot water turns you back into a guy.”

“So I must avoid cold water so I don’t change into a girl.”

“Not easy,” the guide remarked. “Cold water find you if you try to avoid it.”

“Despite this unfortunate mishap, my training is proceeding smoothly.”

“Indeed, Master. Your speed was most impressive.”

Kuno felt encouraged and motivated by those words. “I am ready to resume training though not at Jusenkyo.”

“Do we return home then, Master?”

“Not yet. There must be other training grounds in China that could be useful.”

“I know of many training grounds, sir,” the guide spoke up. “And none are cursed.”

“Excellent. Lead the way.”

&&&&

Kuno held his sword in front of him horizontally to stabilize his balance. He slowly inched his way along a length of rope that served as a type of bridge. There was a more suitable bridge nearby, but he wished to discipline himself. Below the rope was a river, which was Kuno’s motivation to not slip off the line.

Sasuke and the guide stood on the side Kuno was heading toward. Sasuke wanted to shout some words of encouragement, but he remembered what happened the last time he did that, so he wisely kept his mouth shut until Kuno was on firm ground.

“Congratulations, Master. You made it.”

“I am in need of more practice. That was far too slow.”

“Your balance was wonderful, though.”

“Be that as it may, an improved sense of balance will not defeat Ranma Saotome. I intend on staying here until my skills have improved significantly, even if it takes a month.”

Chapter Three- Kodachi

It did take Kuno a month before he was satisfied with his training. There had been a couple of times when he had come into contact with cold water, but Sasuke had been standing by with hot water.

This did not please their guide. He was of the opinion that Kuno should accept his curse and that hot waster will not always be available. This opinion earned him a couple of cuffs to the head.

Due to his training, Kuno improved his kendo skills greatly and had picked up a little martial arts fighting as well, not to mention some Chinese acrobatics. Surely, he would beat Ranma the next time they fought. Indeed, he even dreamed he had won. The odd thing was neither Akane nor the pigtailed girl showed up to congratulate him.

He attributed that fact to his curse. Ever since that day, his interest in girls was diminishing. For example, one day they wandered past the village of Amazon women and while their beauty affected Sasuke and the guide, they had no effect on Kuno.

Now, Kuno was home and was eager to challenge Ranma. But, for now, he wanted to relax and perhaps do some meditation. A warm bath sounded like a good way to relax. Kuno stood up and brushed back some of his hair. His hair had grown a bit in the time he had spent in China and he had taken to wearing it in a samurai-style ponytail. It wasn’t very long, but it did look good on him and he elected to let it grow out a little more.

He heard the door open, followed by Kodachi’s crazy laugh. He inwardly sighed. He loved his sister, but she drove him crazy sometimes. Nevertheless, he headed for the front door to greet her after his being gone for a month and a half.

He found her at the door, sopping wet. He hadn’t even realized that it had been raining. He had thought about hugging her, but what if her wet clothes activated his curse? He did not want anyone else finding out about it.

Kodachi looked up at him and a small smile came to her face. “Brother! You’re back. I’m glad to see you again.” She held out her arms and approached Kuno to do what he had wanted to do with her.

Kuno backed up. “Sister, you’re all wet. Perhaps, it would be better if you dried off before hugging me.”

Kodachi laughed. “Oh please, brother dear. What’s a little water between siblings?” She then wrapped Kuno in a hug before he had a chance to respond or get away.

Kuno felt different the moment his sister embraced him and he just knew he had changed. As she looked at Kodachi, she found herself at her height instead of being taller than her. Her chest was pressed up against hers and her clothes were looser on her female form.

Kodachi pulled back, a little confused. Something was wrong. She took another look at Kuno. Her brother had suddenly shrunk a little, his hair was blond now, he was slender, and he had…breasts!? Oh, God! Her brother was a girl now! Kodachi screamed and passed out.

&&&&

Kodachi’s eyes fluttered open and she found herself in bed with a wet cloth on her forehead and her brother (a boy now) sitting in a chair next to the bed.

“Oh,” she moaned as she sat up, the cloth falling onto her lap. “I just had the weirdest dream. I dreamed you turned into a girl, brother.” She waited for her brother to scoff and tell her that he becoming a girl was an absurd notion.

“It was no dream. I fear it’s true,” Kuno replied.

Kodachi swung her legs over the side of the bed. “How in the world did that happen?”

“It happened while in China. I was at a training ground called Jusenkyo. This area has bamboo poles several feet above more than a thousand pools of water. Each one is called a spring and apparently a person or an animal drowned in every one of them. I was unaware that this is what caused the springs to be cursed.”

“Cursed?”

“Yes. I fell into the one called Spring of Drowned Girl. Now I’m cursed to be a girl when splashed with cold water. I turn back to a man with hot water.”

“Now I see why you didn’t want to hug. I was wet with cold water.”

“Precisely.”

“Oh, my poor dear brother. How awful this must be for you.”

Kuno closed his eyes. “You have no idea.” He couldn’t believe how well Kodachi was taking this. She was actually being sympathetic.

A cold force suddenly hit him in the face and proceeded to drip down his no, her body, now.

“You’re right. I have no idea,” Kodachi said.

Kuno gasped and opened her eyes. “Why did you do that?” she sputtered, wiping the water off her face.

Kodachi smiled as she eased off the bed. “Because brother dear, sometimes I desire girl talk.”

“Girl talk? But…I’m a man.”

Kodachi cupped her chin as she answered, “Not at the moment you’re not.” Now that the shock had worn off, she took a good look at her brother’s female form. The blond hair complimented her blue eyes perfectly. Her body was slender, yet somewhat muscular and her breasts were full, round, and strained at her kendo top.

He’d, I mean she’d, really attract some boys. Too bad she’s ashamed of her curse. Perhaps, I can help her get over her embarrassment. Later. Grabbing Kuno’s hand, she dragged her to their family room where they sat across from one another at their coffee table. Kodachi smiled as she started to talk about the other girls at her school. She was unaware that Kuno wasn’t listening to her.

Chapter Four- Suspicions

Kuno was bored. She couldn’t believer her sister wanted her female just to…gossip, really. She wanted to get some hot water and return to her natural form. However, Kodachi had her full attention on her and if she got up to leave, she would probably wrap her legs with her gymnastics ribbon. So, she stayed put and tuned her chatter out.

She drummed her fingers on the table. She looked at them and noticed for the first time how slender and delicate they looked. It finally drove home that she was certainly female in body only. Or was she? Would she start thinking like a girl if she didn’t change back after a while? Surely not.

She silently cursed Saotome for her predicament. Had she not heard of her foe training at Jusenkyo, she would never have gone there herself. Wait. Saotome trained there and it was very likely he had fallen in a cursed spring as well. The question was what curse befell him?

Perhaps it was something small, like a mouse. She recalled that Saotome had disappeared when they fell in the school’s swimming pool. It was quite likely that in the midst of the bubbles upon splashdown, her pigtailed goddess had entered the pool, covering up Saotome’s cursed change.

Kuno was brought back to reality by fingers snapping in her face. She blinked and saw her sister’s annoyed face in front of her. “Brother, you haven’t heard a single word I’ve said. Just what was more important than my girl talk?”

“Ranma Saotome.”

“What about my darling Ranma?”

“I was thinking about him training at Jusenkyo. It is possible that he also utilized the poles like I did. It is also likely that he fell in a cursed spring.”

“Oh, no! My poor Ranma!”

“I’m more interested in what his curse is.”

“How do you intend to do that?”

“That’s simple. Splash him with cold water when his guard is down. But, first I need hot water and some training.” She stood up to leave.

“Training!”

“Yes. He won’t be expecting to be splashed while fighting.”

“Why don’t you forget the hot water and start training?”

“Are you mad? I can not train like this.” She gestured at her girl form.

“Why not? By the way, you’re actually beautiful.”

“I intend to fight as a man. Saotome will not recognize me in my girl form.”

“I guess I can understand that. In any event, let’s start the training!” She stood up, grabbed Kuno’s hand, and dragged her outside.

“You are mad. I told you I can not train as a girl.”

“Brother, you simply must get over this embarrassment of your curse.”

“I am not embarrassed!”

“Well, you’re certainly ashamed of it.”

&&&&

Kuno sighed as he lay on his bed that night. The warm bath had felt wonderful after his odd training session. He found that his sense of balance was a little different due to the breasts, something he hadn’t noticed before. Once he had learned to compensate for the extra weight, he had announced that he would be better off getting the hot water. Kodachi had responded by wrapping her ribbon around his legs. She had made it clear that he was to train as a girl. In a way, it was good she had insisted. He had discovered that his acrobatic tricks worked better when he was a girl. Plus his slender body had increased his speed and he had used that to his advantage during the session.

Not that I’ll be fighting anyone as a girl, he reminded himself as he covered a yawn. I learned all that just to please my sister.

“Well, you’re certainly ashamed of it.” Kodachi’s words came rushing back to him. Was it true? Was he ashamed of his curse? He just didn’t want anyone to find out about it. He could imagine the laughter that would follow if word got out: Tatewaki Kuno was a girl.

Perhaps I am ashamed. I have a reputation to uphold. Everyone would laugh at me if they saw me turn into a girl. With a sigh, he rolled onto his side and fell asleep.

&&&&

“Ha, ha, ha. I have defeated you at last, Ranma Saotome!” Kuno declared standing in front of Ranma’s unconscious body.

“Oh, Kuno!” a voice called behind him. He turned to see Akane running toward him; her arms open wide and a smile on her face. He smiled back and ran toward her, his arms also spread wide.

Suddenly, Akane stopped and shrank back, with a horrified look that quickly changed into a disgusted look. “Stay away. I don’t love girls!”

Kuno stopped, confused. “Akane Tendo, it is I, Tatewaki Kuno.”

“Kuno?” Akane stared at him for a moment before she burst out laughing.

This reaction confused him even more. “Why do you laugh?” he asked before realizing that his voice had changed. He looked down to see that he was a she now. She heard laughter behind her and spun around to see Ranma, awake and laughing.

“Kuno’s a girl,” he snickered, pointing a finger at her.

Kuno put her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut as Akane’s and Ranma’s laughs grew louder and louder.

Suddenly he sat up with a gasp. He looked around before patting himself down. He was alone and male. He lay back down. “What a horrid nightmare. Ranma Saotome, you will not laugh at me and live. I swear it.”

Chapter Five- Back to School

A large crowd of students milled in front of the school before eventually heading inside. It was a typical Monday morning. Kuno strolled through the front gate, drawing attention to him. It was understandable seeing as he had been gone a month and a half. Fortunately, he had left a note with the school about where he was going before leaving. His blue eyes swept the grounds, looking for the two girls he loved.

He noticed Akane when he was halfway to the school’s doors. She seemed to be staring at his hair. As her eyes locked with his, he was surprised that he didn’t feel the way he used to toward her.

Is it the pigtailed girl that I truly love? he wondered before sweeping the grounds for her. He spotted her peering around a tree near the school’s doors. Once again, he made eye contact. He was very surprised to discover that his love for the redhead was even less than it was with Akane!

Am I no longer attracted to girls because I’m half-girl myself? He shook his head. No, that couldn’t be. He may be half-girl, but he was still a boy. He looked up at the trees and saw Sasuke hidden in the leaves. Before leaving the house, he made his servant promise to follow him around, ready to splash him with hot water if necessary.

Kuno climbed to the third floor and looked out a window at the grounds below. He spied Ranma heading toward the school. The raven-haired boy paused as if sensing he was being watched and then looked up right at Kuno. The two boys stared at each other before the older boy broke eye contact by walking away.

“Soon Saotome,” he said to himself. “I will defeat you. Now is not the time, however. A bit more training is in order, I think.”

&&&&

Ranma tilted his head slightly. What was up with Kuno? He sure is acting strange. He didn’t flirt with Akane when he saw her. I know he saw my girl half but he didn’t come rushing over and just now he saw me but didn’t leap down to fight me or shout out a challenge. I don’t get it.

&&&&

Kuno opened the classroom door, strode over to his desk, and sat down. He knew he was confusing his classmates with his unusual behavior, but it didn’t concern him much. He had felt different ever since his accident and it prompted him to react differently to familiar situations.

“Oh, Kuno baby. Welcome back.”

The upperclassman turned his head at the voice and saw Nabiki standing nearby. The sight of her caused his heart to beat faster. He had never before noticed how cute she was. Unlike Akane and the pigtailed girl, his interest in Nabiki was rising.

“Ah, fair Nabiki Tendo. Your presence fills me with joy,” he said, slipping into his usual behavior.

Nabiki blinked at his greeting. He never addressed her like that before. It was flattering, but-

“What about Akane and the pigtailed girl?” she asked and then waited for him to claim he was still in love with them.

“My love for them has faded like a flower withers when touched by winter’s frost. But my love for you has blossomed to full bloom like a flower in spring.”

Nabiki regarded him in a new light. Now that he’s not interested in Akane or Ranma, he’s actually cute and that little growth of hair helps. I like guys with long hair. Best of all, Kuno’s family is rich. This could prove profitable.

“Why, Kuno baby. I didn’t know you were that interested in little old me.”

“I see no one who could surpass you.”

“My, your training in China has really changed you. You’re a different person.”

“You could say that.”

&&&&

Nabiki Tendo is right. I have changed. Not just physically, but mentally-at least a little bit. It was lunchtime and Kuno was walking around the school grounds. He dwelled on his state of mind. He used to be the big man on campus until Ranma came along. He still desired to defeat Ranma. It wasn’t a matter of status, but of pride. No man wanted to appear weak especially in front of another man.

His obsession with girls had, more or less, vanished. He had eyes for only one girl now. He was convinced that his curse was responsible for this change. Indeed, the majority of his personality had changed because he used to chase and flirt with girls all the time.

The sound of running feet snapped Kuno out of his reverie. He turned in time to see a boy leap into the air, curl himself into a ball, and shout, “Cannonball!” before landing into the pool next to Kuno, sending a large wave crashing over him.

As the water settled around her feet, she immediately got onto dry ground. A second later, Sasuke appeared and pour some of the hot water on her. “Thank you, Sasuke. I was starting to believe that your presence would have been unnecessary.”

“It would not matter to me if my presence wasn’t needed, Master.”

“Nonetheless, thank you.”

&&&&

“Ranma, have you noticed how odd Kuno’s been acting?” Akane asked as they headed home after school.

“I’ll say. He didn’t try to touch me in girl form and he didn’t fight me as a guy.”

“It gets weirder. Nabiki told me Kuno’s only interested in her.”

“Only her? Great! He won’t be chasing after my girl side anymore.”

“It is great. But, it’s difficult to see him change so quickly.”

“A little hard, yeah. But, it’s a good thing.”

“A good thing?”

“Yeah. He’s decided to stop going after an un-cute tomboy like you.”

“Ranma! You jerk!”

SMACK!

Chapter Six- A Girls’ Outing

Kuno arrived home before his sister and had Sasuke prepare some tea. As he drank, he reflected on the rest of his day.

After lunch, classes proceeded as usual. The unusual part was he found himself constantly glancing at Nabiki. She didn’t notice him looking at her. That was fortunate. It was possible that he had an odd look on his face while staring at her.

After classes were over, he had gone to kendo practice. He remembered impressing his teammates with his speed and precision. They complimented him on how much he had improved and how good his tiny ponytail looked on him.

“Brother, dear. Where are you?” Kodachi’s voice rang through the house.

He sighed softly. His peace and quiet was over. He couldn’t help but wonder what his sister had in store for him. Most likely, she was going to try to turn him into a girl again. She seemed to get a kick out of seeing him change back and forth. A few seconds later, Kodachi appeared in the doorway.

“Ah, there you are. So, how was your first day back?” she asked, sitting in front of him.

A bit surprised by her question, he nevertheless replied, “It went rather well. I had a few surprises. I think you will be pleased to know that I love only one girl now.”

“Oh? Who is it?” Kodachi wondered whether it was Akane or that redheaded girl.

“Nabiki Tendo.”

“Really?” Kodachi was surprised. “Not Akane or the pigtailed girl?”

“Correct.”

“Uh-huh. So, no cold water encounters?”

“I had one, but Sasuke was nearby the reverse the change immediately.”

“What!? It was reversed?” Dismay was clearly evident in her voice and seemed to underscore Kuno’s suspicions about her enjoying his changes.

“Why disappointed? I’m your brother, not your sister.”

“You really are ashamed. You should just learn to accept your curse. I spoke to the old woman who owns the Cat Café-“

“You told someone what happened to me!?”

“No. I merely asked for information about Jusenkyo. She said that only one spring had a human drown in it. You’re lucky to fall in the one you did.”

“Perhaps. But, honestly how would you feel if there was a Spring of Drowned Man and you fell in it?”

She paused to think about it. If she turned into a boy when splashed with cold water, how would she feel? “I would feel shocked and horrified at first,” she said slowly. “But then I would give the matter some serious consideration. As a girl, there are certain mysteries about boys I’ve always wanted to solve and taboos I wasn’t allowed to break. Having a boy side would give me the chance to explore the other side.”

Kuno blinked at her response. She would think heavily about her curse, first? He had already done that and concluded that being half-girl was indeed a curse. His sister had just contemplated that being half-boy would be a journey of discovery. He never thought about his curse like that. He pictured two possibilities: He could continue to avoid trying to spend any time as a girl or he could embrace his curse and see what discoveries were in store for him.

He steeped his fingers as he looked at Kodachi. “Tell me,” he said. “What kind of advantages or perks do girls have?”

Kodachi tilted her head quizzically. “Brother?”

“I thought about what you said and have decided to accept my curse. I was told there was no cure, yet I had refused to accept that.”

“I’m so happy that you’re ready to accept who you are now. Shall we begin your journey of womanhood?”

“Uh…” Kuno hesitated. Despite his acceptance, the idea of voluntarily turning into a girl made his stomach squirm with trepidation.

“Problem, dear brother?”

“How do we begin this journey and what will it entail? Honestly, it sounds a bit scary.”

“Scary?” Kodachi laughed. “Oh, no. It won’t be scary at all. I was thinking of doing some shopping, getting some ice cream, and more girl talk.”

“More girl talk?” Kuno’s voice sounded faint.

“It’s either that or you wear girl clothes for the trip.”

Kuno’s eye widened in horror. “Sister, I’ll change to a girl and participate in girl talk, but I will not wear girl clothes!”

“Okay then. Get the cold water and let’s get started!”

&&&&

I can’t believe girls do this for fun, she thought a little while later. She followed her sister around town, occasionally stopping at stores and going in. She found clothes shopping boring and couldn’t wait to leave those stores.

Speaking of clothes, she had managed to find a nice shirt and pants in her closet. They were a little small for her male form, but they fit perfectly on her female one. So what if her shirt’s pocket landed squarely on her breast? It fit and that was all that mattered.

She was trying to enjoy herself, but she was finding it difficult. She looked and sounded like a girl, but she certainly didn’t act like one, not that she wanted to.

“Oh, let’s go in this one,” Kodachi said, pulling her “sister” inside a store that sold ladies undergarments and lingerie.

Kuno gulped. She had never been in a store like this one before and it was obvious why. She didn’t want people thinking she was a pervert. Oh, wait a second. She was a girl right now. No one would know the blonde girl was Tatewaki Kuno. Squaring her shoulders, she followed Kodachi inside.

The inside left her breathless. The sheer number of garments was unbelievable. But, why so many and why were there so many different sizes? She whispered her questions to Kodachi, who turned red and said she’d tell her at home. She didn’t press the issue, feeling that to discuss such things in public was wrong.

The lingerie section was a different story. Kodachi was beside herself with joy as she flipped through the rack. Kuno, however, eyed the clothes, half suspicious and half admiringly. She wasn’t sure why women loved buying lingerie. The garments were either short, had a deep plunging neckline, practically see-through, or a combination of two or all three options.

Her admiration was actually from her boy side. She would certainly be sexually excited if her wife came to bed wearing something that sexy or see-through.

“Oh! How cute!” Kodachi exclaimed, making Kuno look over at her. She was looking at a short pale lavender garment that had a low neckline. She ran her fingers across the silken material, a smile playing on her lips.

She lifted the hanger off the rack, went up to her “sister”, and held the item up against her body. “Oh, brother, it looks darling on you.”

Kuno’s face went red. No way was she going to wear lingerie much less let Kodachi buy it. “I told you I will not wear girl clothes,” she hissed softly.

“I see your attitude has not changed since we started shopping.”

“I may look like a girl, but that doesn’t mean I will act like one.”

“I guess you accepting your curse should be enough for me.”

“Yes, it should.”

“Okay. That’s enough shopping. I feel like getting a sundae.” Putting the gown back on the rack, she left the store with Kuno behind her who felt a sense of relief.

&&&&

Now, this is more familiar, she thought as she and her sister sat across from each other at an ice cream parlor booth. What was unusual about the setting was the dish of hot fudge sundae in front of her. She stared at it, feeling uncomfortable. Guys don’t eat ice cream like girls do, let alone at all. It was considered embarrassing and inappropriate.

Kodachi took a bite of her strawberry sundae with nuts and whipped cream before noticing her “sister” hadn’t touched her sundae yet. She swallowed before saying, “It’s not going to kill you to eat it. I really wish you could just loosen up and enjoy the girl lifestyle.”

“It’s hard to enjoy something you never had experience with,” she said. She sighed before taking her first bite.

Her eyes widened at the cold sweet taste that touched her taste buds. It was wonderful! She couldn’t believe what she had been missing.

“Are you all right?” Kodachi asked. Kuno’s eyes were wide as if she was in shock.

Kuno swallowed. “Yes, I’m fine. This sundae is delicious. I have never tasted anything like it.” Kuno proceeded to eat her ice cream.

Kodachi smiled slightly. “I believe you just found at least one good thing about being a girl.”

Kuno nodded happily. It was worth being a girl if she could enjoy ice cream without worrying that someone might recognize her, however unlikely that was. Her blond hair was so different from her brown hair that she was virtually unrecognizable.

&&&&

After the ice cream (over which some girl talk was made), both siblings walked down the street, carrying packages and lost in their own thoughts. Kodachi was actually guy-watching as they walked. When she saw one, she would judge his looks using Ranma’s own as a base. Not surprisingly, hardly any of them measured up to her love.

Then she saw a tall teenage boy with blue eyes and deep brown hair that was complemented by a charming smile. Oh, my, what a hunk, she thought.

The handsome boy’s eyes locked onto her eyes and his smile widened. He abandoned his position by a ramen shop and practically glided to her side.

“Hello, my raven-haired beauty,” he said. “Please, tell me your name.”

“Uh, it-it’s Kodachi,” the gymnast stammered.

“Kodachi,” he repeated. “Such a lovely name fits you perfectly.”

“Why, thank you. And what is your name, handsome prince?”

“Oh, yes. Forgive my rudeness. I am Mikado Sanzenin.” With that introduction, he leaned forward and kissed her. When he looked up, he saw a beautiful blonde girl behind Kodachi and she seemed to be glaring at him.

Chapter Seven- Acceptance

Kuno was reflecting on the afternoon’s outing. This was the longest time she had spent as a girl and she was starting to feel comfortable in this form. She still preferred to be a guy, but she no longer dreaded turning into a girl whenever cold water came her way.

Perhaps I just needed to spend a lot of time as a girl to come to terms with it. It’s almost as if Kodachi knew this.

He noticed then that her sister had stopped and she followed suite, wondering why she stopped. They had already agreed to go home after the ice cream. She looked at Kodachi and she gaped in surprise. A guy was kissing her! A complete stranger just came up to her and kissed her!

Kuno’s look of surprise gave way to a glare that she fixed on the stranger. How dare he steal a kiss from my sister! He’ll regret that after I’m done with him. Kuno didn’t have her sword with her. Kodachi persuaded her to leave it at home. However, Kuno did have her fists and that would be more than enough. Before she could step forward to mete out justice, the boy stepped up to her.

“Ah, another lovely lady. Greetings, I am Mikado Sanzenin.” He leaned forward and captured Kuno’s lips in his own.

Kuno’s eyes widened and her mind shut down. This can not be happening! I’m getting kissed by a guy!

Pulling back, Sanzenin continued, “Permit me to take you on a date where we can get to-“ He didn’t get to finish his sentence because he was sent flying skyward courtesy of Kuno’s right fist.

“I think I’m going to be ill,” Kuno muttered.

“What did you just do!?” Kodachi exclaimed, looking up at where Sanzenin had disappeared.

“I think I sent him on a one-way trip to China.”

“But, why?”

“He kissed me just after we had met and he assumed that I would date with him.”

“Well,” she said, noticing that people were staring at them. “what did you expect, sister dear? You are rather attractive.”

Kodachi’s emphasis on sister made Kuno realize that everyone was staring at them. No, not looking at them, but rather at something heading their way. She turned around.

There was a group of girls running toward them. They were chasing a small man carrying an enormous sack on his back. As he ran, he was saying, “What a haul! What a haul!” Kuno had no idea what was in the sack, but she bet that the contents belonged to the girls. She further recognized the man: Happosai. He frequently hung around the Tendos, though she did not know why.

The girls caught up to Happosai, snatched the sack away, stomped on him, and then left, leaving a trampled, bruised, and dazed little man on the street. He lifted his face off the road and his eyes focused on Kuno’s female body.

He leaped to his feet, his injuries already healed and forgotten. “Wow! Pretty lady!” he exclaimed. He drank in the long slim legs, even though they were concealed by pants, before running his hands along them. “Hmm, nice. Very nice. Oh my, what a firm butt. Strong and firm all over…except here! Oh, this is divine.”

Kuno was frozen in shock and disbelief. This old man was touching every part of her body and it was uncomfortable in every way imaginable. A creeped out and violated feeling came over her when Happosai started hugging her chest and rubbing her breasts with his head.

“How dare you touch me, you lecher!” she cried, striking a downward blow to Happosai’s head, sending the little man to the pavement. She turned to her sister. “Let’s get out of here, now!”

Before more weird stuff happens, she added silently as they raced home.

&&&&

I can not believe it. I get kissed by one guy and touched by another. Kuno shuddered at the memories. Despite those unpleasant experiences, she still felt at peace with being half-girl. In fact, she was currently laying on her bed, still a girl. I think I’ll sleep as a girl tonight, she mused, her eyelids drooping closed. She had almost dozed off when she felt hot water being poured on her.

He sat up with a gasp. Thankfully, he had changed into his nightclothes when he got home. He glanced to his right to see his servant with a tea kettle.

He cuffed him before saying, “How dare you do that!”

“B-but, Master. You almost went to sleep as a girl.”

“That was the idea, you idiot.”

“I don’t understand, Master.”

“My sister and I talked after we came home from school. She made me realize that being half-girl is not truly a curse. I actually had a somewhat pleasant afternoon as a girl.”

“Master! Are you saying you like being a girl?”

“I suppose I am. At least sometimes. I do not intend to spend the majority of my time in girl form, if that is what you were thinking.”

“Oh, no Master. I wasn’t thinking that at all.”

“Good. Well, I guess I’ll sleep as a girl another night.”

“Good night Master Kuno.” Sasuke left the room and headed for his quarters, his thoughts on the previous conversation. I can’t believe Master Kuno actually enjoys his curse. I can’t get him to change his mind, for he is a stubborn man. I know talking to Mistress Kodachi about this won’t do any good. She convinced the master to accept his curse. He shook his head. Clearly, his opinion was his alone. But deep down, he knew that he too would get used to Kuno’s new perspective.

Chapter Eight- The Challenge

THUNK!

An arrow protruded from one of the Tendo’s porch poles, a piece of paper tied to its shaft. Akane happened to be on the porch, so she untied the letter and smoothed it out to see who it was for. Then, she opened the porch door leading to the dining room and said, “Ranma, you got a letter from Kuno.”

Ranma looked up from his rice and took the letter. He opened it up and scanned its contents. Finally, he looked up and smirked. “He’s challenging me to a fight after school today. It’s about time. He’s been back for a week already.”

“I’d be careful, Ranma,” Nabiki cut in. “Kuno baby’s trained in China, just like you did. I’m sure he’s picked up some new tricks while he was there.”

“I’ll still beat him.”

“Don’t be so confident, boy,” Genma scolded. “A cocky martial artist is a sloppy martial artist.”

Ranma nodded, but inside he knew he would win. Kuno relied solely on his sword. Take that away and he was done. There’s nothing Kuno’s picked up that I can’t beat.

&&&&

“You delivered the challenge letter to Saotome?”

“Yes, Master Kuno.”

“Excellent.” Kuno drank some tea. “Today I will defeat him once and for all. I only hope that it does not rain today.” He glanced outside at the gray clouds that covered the sky.

“As do I, Master. Shall I accompany you with hot water today?”

“No. That will not be necessary.”

“But, Master-“

“I said no!”

“Yes, Master.”

&&&&

“Ranma Saotome. I suggest you write your will today for you will not live to see tomorrow,” Kuno declared as Ranma came through the gates that morning.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ranma’s tone was flippant. “I’ll write it during study hall. Just make sure you’re ready for our fight.”

“Oh, I shall be ready.” As he walked inside, he looked at the gray clouds again. I pray that it, at least, doesn’t rain after school.

&&&&

Ranma took a bite of one of Kasumi’s rice cakes and stared out a window at the schoolyard below. It was lunchtime and he could hardly wait for his fight. It had been a long time since he last fought. Ryoga was off training somewhere (it was more likely he was lost) and Mousse hadn’t come after him either. Kuno’s challenge was eagerly anticipated.

As he took another bite, he noticed the rain clouds sweeping over the town. Man, I hope it doesn’t rain during the fight. I’m not worried that Kuno will discover my secret. He’s too dense to realize it. I just don’t want him grabbing me even though he’s only interested in Nabiki.

&&&&

“Yo, Kuno. Here I am. You ready to fight?”

It was fight time at last. Ranma noticed that the school grounds were devoid of other students. Perhaps the impending rain had sent them home already. Even Akane and Nabiki weren’t around. It was just as well. The fight wouldn’t last long. He could already see it. Kuno would jab his sword at him, he would avoid the strikes, disarm Kuno, and finally knock him out. The rain would come on his way home. Maybe he’ll stop at Ukyo’s for hot water, some food, and an umbrella.

All this went through his mind as he struck a fighting stance. Kuno responded by holding his sword at the ready. “This day will be your last, Saotome,” Kuno said. Lightning flashed and the first few raindrops fell to punctuate his statement.

“Oh, nice, Kuno. Very dramatic,” Ranma commented. As he took a step forward, he then realized it was raining.

Oh no, she thought. She squeezed her eyes shut. What lousy timing. Any minute now, Kuno’s going to run over and hug me all the while declaring his love for the pigtailed girl, despite the fact that he loves only Nabiki now. About a minute passed before Ranma opened her eyes and looked at Kuno. Her jaw dropped when she saw a blonde girl wearing Kuno’s clothes! What the hell? she thought.

&&&&

Oh no, it’s raining! Kuno couldn’t believe it as he changed to a girl. She had planned on luring Saotome to where she had a bucket of cold water stashed so she could uncover his curse. Sure, the rain would do that for her, but it had just revealed her as well. She then noticed that Saotome’s eyes were closed. She wasn’t sure why, but she wasn’t going to complain. She could rush behind her opponent and knock him out before he-

Kuno broke off in mid-thought as she saw Ranma’s hair change from black to red. Seconds later, the pigtailed girl stood where Ranma had been. Kuno blinked rapidly and her mind reeled in shock.

Saotome was the pigtailed girl all this time!? That means we both fell in the same spring! Kuno thought back to all those veiled comments that Ranma had said in the past and realized that she had been too thickheaded to see them for what they were. Well, as veiled as they were, how could anyone think that Ranma meant he was boy and girl?

Ranma then chose that moment to open her eyes. She blinked upon seeing Kuno before her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

“S-Saotome?” Kuno stammered in a whisper. She had seen Ranma change into a girl, but she wanted to be sure it was her rival.

The girl nodded before replying in the same manner, “Kuno?”

The swordswoman nodded and both of them regarded one another for several seconds. Then Ranma broke out in a big grin, fell onto the ground, and started laughing.

Kuno’s face went red and so did her vision. This was almost exactly like her dream! She had turned into a girl in front of Saotome and she was laughing at her. I will not allow her to continue mocking me!

“Silence, Saotome! It’s your fault this happened to me!” Kuno charged at Ranma, her sword flashing in front of her.

Ranma barely had enough time to avoid the first strike, let alone the ones that followed it. She couldn’t believe how fast Kuno had gotten. Still, without the sword, Kuno had no other tricks.

Ducking under the blade’s strikes, Ranma dashed toward the hilt and delivered a gentle karate chop to Kuno’s knuckles, which made her drop the sword. Ranma then kicked the sword out of range and proceeded to attack with her Chestnuts Technique.

Kuno saw the attack coming and her training came into play. She weaved from side to side, avoiding the flying fists much to Ranma’s surprise. Kuno then crouched down and swept a leg across the ground, sending Ranma to the ground. But, the martial artist quickly got to her feet. Both fighters paused, chests heaving.

Finally Ranma made a “T” with her hands. “Whoa, whoa. Time out.”

“Problem, Saotome?” Kuno taunted. “Can’t fight me as a girl for much longer?”

“Hey, pal. I’ve fought as a girl a lot longer then you have. I’m willing to call this fight a draw and besides, we’re both likely to catch cold if we stay outside much longer.”

Kuno nodded. Ranma was right. Both of them would get sick if they didn’t get out of the rain. Since the school was closest, they headed for it and sat under the metal canopy above the front doors.

Several minutes passed in silence before Ranma said, “It’s obvious you went to Jusenkyo, but why did you go there?”

“Sasuke overheard you mention that you trained there. I believed you learned some impressive technique there and I was determined to learn it too, all for the purpose of defeating you. I never imagined it would go so wrong.”

“The only technique I learned was turning into a girl when splashed with cold water,” Ranma answered wryly. “But, you did improve. You learned to fight without your sword.”

Kuno patted the weapon that lay next to her. She had picked it up on the way to their shelter. “I had decided to learn some fighting styles that did not require weaponry.”

“I…can see why it’s my fault you went to Jusenkyo. But falling in the girl spring was lucky. It could have been worse.”

“How so?”

“You could have wound up as a panda, a duck, or a piglet.”

Kuno swallowed hard. Compared to those options, being a girl was lucky. She was still human after getting hit with cold water. She remembered that Sasuke was also responsible for her fall. Of course, she wasn’t going to tell Ranma that unless she asked how Kuno fell. She was curious on how Ranma fell in, though.

“How did you fall in the spring, Saotome?”

“Pops kicked me into it. We were balanced on the poles and I had knocked him into the Spring of Drowned Panda. He then kicked me and I fell in the girl one.”

“So, it was your father’s fault.”

“Yup. He was the one who dragged me there in the first place, even though he didn’t speak a word of Chinese. So, how did you fall?”

“I too was on the poles, practicing my speed. Sasuke broke my concentration by praising me. My shoe touched the edge of a pole and I couldn’t regain my footing.”

“Basically, you slipped off.”

“Yes.” Kuno took a long look at Ranma. Even though she knew the truth, it didn’t change the fact that Ranma’s girl form was beautiful. No surprise that Kuno fell in love with her when she first saw her. Kuno then became aware that Ranma was staring at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Saotome?” she snapped. “Am I that ugly?”

“Ugly? No way. You’re actually quite pretty.”

“Yes. My sister has said so as well.”

“Have you looked in a mirror lately? You sure don’t sound convinced.”

“I have not had the time to look. Until last week, I did not want to accept the fact that I’m half-girl now and I was too busy training to look.”

“Well, you should. So only Sasuke, Kodachi, and I know you change?”

“Precisely and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Okay. How about this? I won’t tell and you don’t tell plus you leave Akane alone. She is my fiancée, after all.”

“Who knows you change?”

“Akane and her family, Dr. Tofu, Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne, Ukyo, and now you. I don’t want it to go further than that.”

“I see. All right. It’s a deal, Saotome.”

“Great. Well, the rain’s stopped. Let’s change and go home.”

“Agreed. But this doesn’t change anything between us. We are not friends now. I will smite you yet.”

“You can try.”

&&&&

“Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!” Kuno’s voice rang out across the school courtyard the next morning.

Ranma avoided Kuno’s strikes and the two of them sparred with each other across the yard.

“Stand and fight you coward!” Kuno yelled, slashing forward with his sword.

“Kuno, you swing like a girl.”

Kuno’s face went crimson with anger. “SAOTOME!”

The End