It was surprisingly quiet upstairs, however.
She found that some thoughtful Tendo had seen fit to put the names of the occupants on the doors at some point in the past, and walked past a trio of Western, hinged doors to the unlabeled fusuma panel of a proper Japanese traditional door. It slid open noiselessly, and she saw Ranma and Ukyou curled up on a futon in the middle of the floor -- both with all of their clothes on.
Ranma had his face covered with one arm and Ukyou was cuddled up next to him, murmuring, "It's okay, Ranchan. We're gonna pull through this."
Kodachi did not like what she was seeing. Her Ranma-sama was a strong, virile, and very powerful man. What had happened to reduce him to this state? She quickly sank to the futon, and cuddled up to the other side of him. "Ranma-sama," she murmured. "What is wrong?"
"Ugh," he sighed. "Just ... tell her, Ucchan."
"Okay," Ukyou sighed. "Um. I'll need some hot water, and some cold water. 'Dachi-chan, you'll take care of him till I get back, right?"
Kodachi nodded, not entirely certain of what was going on. In short order, however, Ukyou vanished, and then returned with a cup of cold water, and a steaming kettle. Then she grabbed Ranma, who sat upright, staring at the floor with resignation. "'Dachi-chan, you know how the 'pigtailed girl' uses Ranchan's name, right?" Ukyou asked.
"Indeed," Kodachi said, nodding. "Though, I find it curious that I've not seen her. I would have thought she would be here."
"She is," Ranma mumbled.
"Really?" Kodachi asked, frowning. "I must have overlooked her."
"Watch real close," Ranma sighed.
Ukyou shrugged, and poured the cold water over Ranma's head. Kodachi wasn't certain she would have believed it, if she hadn't been holding onto Ranma at the time. As she watched, and felt, a flat, hard, muscled chest softened, and became rounded and full. Hair changed color, and her Ranma-sama suddenly became ... a girl.
"Oh, dear," Kodachi heard herself say distantly. "I think I've done rather wrong by you in the past, Ranma-sama."
"Yeah, look -- the important thing you gotta know here, 'Dachi-chan, is that Ranchan is a guy. One hundred percent man inside, even if he can have a girl body," she said, pouring the hot water back over his head. A tension Kodachi hadn't even realized in her husband (and part-time wife, she supposed) seemed to drain out of him as he resumed his male form.
"Fascinating," Kodachi murmured. "I wish only that I had known sooner, Ranma-sama. Please, understand I am truly ashamed of what I have done to you when I thought you were--"
"Don't matter," he said, shaking his head.
She pursed her lips. "There's more to this," she deduced. "Something is wrong."
"Yeah," Ukyou said, nodding. "You know how the curse works now -- hot and cold water, right?"
Kodachi nodded.
"You've probably never heard of him, but there's this guy, one of Ranchan's rivals from China.... His name is Pantyhose Tarou. He ... knows about Ranchan's curse."
A vague feeling of unease began to settle in the back of Kodachi's mind. "Ranma-sama," she asked slowly. "Did ... this man--"
"Yes, okay?" Ranma suddenly snarled, trembling. "He threw cold water on me and f...fucked me until he made me like it!" Then he curled in on himself, pressing the palms on his hands to his face, shuddering.
Kodachi's vague sense of unease exploded into the promise of extreme pain if she ever found this 'Tarou' boy. She reached out with Ukyou, the two of them holding Ranma until he calmed. "Ranma-sama ... this is a small thing to me. You're a man ... my husband. If you'll ... still have me, that is."
"I will," he said quietly. "Oh, I don't know how you can put up with me. This is all so...." He sighed.
"Hey, Ranchan?" Ukyou asked quietly. "You're gonna let me marry you, right? Even if you don't, I'll be with you forever. I love you."
"And I love you as well, Ranma-sama," Kodachi said firmly.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," he admitted, dropping his hands to his face. Some of the weight on his shoulders seemed lessened, and Kodachi kissed him on the cheek happily. "I ... I love you, too. Both of you, 'Dachi-chan. Ucchan."
Ukyou seemed ready to melt into Ranma, and Kodachi briefly considered closing the door, dragging some heavy furniture in the way, and then simply allowing Ranma to ravish the two of them until he was back to himself ... but then ... there were important discussions to be had in the dojo. "I'm married to you, 'Dachi," he said slowly. "I ... Ucchan ... pulled me back from the brink. I didn't know how to handle it. I was gonna go girl ... all the way until she saved me. I'm gonna marry her, too."
"Ah," Kodachi sighed, releasing Ranma long enough to grab Ukyou in a crushing embrace, followed up with a kiss to the lips. Ukyou was too startled to react, reflexively kissing back, and then blushed very darkly. "I love you for what you have done, then, Ukyou-chan," she murmured, before winking, and moving back to hug herself to Ranma again.
Ranma seemed pleased at the display of affection, and Kodachi filed that thought away for later. Once everyone went to bed, she decided. "I gotta ... marry one of the Tendo girls. And Shampoo's already married to me, plus I got her pregnant."
"Room for one more," Ukyou said with a small frown.
"More, if we must," Kodachi said. "I rather suspect the proviso for 'sisters' to be married to the same man is a loophole for adoption. You are the head of your clan, is that correct, Ukyou-chan?"
"Ah ... yeah," she replied with a slight frown. "Hadn't thought of that."
"If it comes down to it," Kodachi mused, nodding. "Rest assured, you will be forced to abandon your honor and ignore a woman you have left with child, Ranma-sama."
"Thanks," he said weakly. "That ... helps. A real man doesn't run from his responsibilities."
"Okay," Ukyou said, smiling. "Now, I know Nabiki's going to be upset, but just for the record ... I think only the people Ranchan's actually going to marry need to know about ... Tarou."
"Indeed," Kodachi murmured. "Now, Ranma-sama, are you ready to go to the dojo? We will both be there for you, of course."
"No matter what, and forever," Ukyou agreed.
"Okay," Ranma allowed, smiling back faintly.
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(Posted Thu, 21 Jul 2005 19:25)
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