Nodoka frowned. "Ranko-chan, what did I tell you about using your magic against others?"
Ranko sighed as she let go of her confused brother. "Only use it on other people when I or someone else is threatened, I know, I know... but... Mom, they were attacking oniichan."
"Excuse me?" Ranma blurted out. "I could have taken care of it just fine, thank you! Besides, Akane and Ucchan aren't that bad." He picked Ukyo up from the ground. The transformed okonomiyaki chef seemed to be even more confused than he was. "So, um... if you're a witch, can't you turn them back to normal?"
Ranko winced. "Sorry... but I was in such a hurry, I forgot to tell the spell the amount of time I want them transformed. I think we might wait until tomorrow for it to wear off..."
Ranma sighed. "I was never lucky when it comes to magic..." He looked at the two red-haired females. "So, um... is it really true? You're my Mom and Sis?"
Nodoka smiled. "That's right, Ranma! We've never came for a visit because I was busy teaching Ranko the ways of magic. Just as your father taught you to be a good martial artist, I taught your sister to be a good witch."
"I still have much to learn..." Ranko said meekly.
Akane didn't like this situation at all. Sure, it was just a misunderstanding, and she wanted to pummel Ranma with her mallet, but the jerk had it coming. Therefore, she saw no reason for that little brat to give her a pair of long ears. She angrily hopped over to Ranko's legs and swatted her tiny rabbit paw against them, only to notice that she was much, much weaker in this form.
Her little claws still scratched Ranko's bare legs, and the young witch winced. "She doesn't seem to like me... and you're telling me she's not that bad?"
"Actually, she's the girl Pops engaged me with," Ranma muttered. "She's not bad... as long as she's not an uncute tomboy..."
Now Akane hopped over to her fiance, to show him just how sharp her teeth had become. But Ranko caught her at the scruff of her neck.
"Enough biting for today, Miss Fiancee," Ranko scolded. "If you want to be my future sister-in-law, be nice to oniichan, you hear me?"
Suddenly, with a small 'pop', the three rabbits turned back into human girls. Ranko's hand was touching the shoulder of a slightly miffed Akane who glared down at the smaller girl. Ranma was holding Ukyo in his arm and nearly dropped her when she transformed back. Kodachi was standing next to them.
They also didn't wear a single piece of clothing.
Ranma nearly developed a nosebleed when he felt the soft curves of his childhood buddy against his body. He quickly put her down on the ground, blushed and muttered: "S-s-sorry about this, Ucchan..."
Ukyo was blushing heavily herself and covered her intimate parts with her arms. This had been the first time Ranma had been this close to her while she was in the nude... and while it was an accident, she couldn't help but feel like this was the first step to something more. A silly grin appeared on her face.
Nodoka frowned. "Now, you girls shouldn't run around naked, that's not very lady-like."
"And whose fault is this?" Akane grumbled while still staring at Ranko.
Nodoka quickly waved her hands and said: "Eb desserd ni gnihtolc."
In another flash, the discarded clothes appeared on the bodies of the three girls. Kodachi's hand wandered over her body. She was as pale as a sheet. "W-w-what kind of trick is this?" she blurted out. "What kind of spell did you put on me?"
"Um, a simple transformation spell," Ranko explained. "Sorry, I didn't want to jump to conclusions..."
"If you were worried about Ranchan, I guess it's all right," Ukyo muttered, still a bit dazzled by her extremely close encounter with Ranma. "Ranchan... back when we were kids, you never mentioned that your mother and sister were witches."
"I never knew of it either," Ranma proclaimed.
"I can't believe it..." Kodachi murmured. "My brother was right... your family is full of evil witches and sorcerers! Stay away from me!" She jumped up on a rooftop and looked down at Ranma. "Ranma-sama... I will free you from the evil influence of your family, just you wait!"
And she leapt away, trailing black rose petals behind her.
Ranko scratched her head. "Um, what's the problem with her?"
"Trust me when I tell you this, sis," Ranma said. "Turning Kodachi into a rabbit was probably the best improvement Nerima had seen in a couple of years."
"Yeah, as a rabbit, she was at least cute and cuddly," Ukyo giggled. She then thought of something. "Saaayyy, Ranchan... was I cute and cuddly, too?"
"Hey, what do you think you're doing, Ukyo?" Akane shouted. "Ranma, you stay away from her!"
"Hey, I'm not doing anything!" Ranma protested. "Ucchan, do ya have to do that?"
Nodoka tapped her finger against her chin. "Ukyo-chan... yes, I remember you! You were the little girl of the okonomiyaki vendor, weren't you?"
"Um, it's an honor that you remember me, ma'am," Ukyo said and bowed. 'Even though your no-good husband stole the cart from my father and took Ranchan away from me...' she mentally added.
Nodoka turned to face Akane. "And you must be Akane, Soun's youngest daughter, right? My, how you've grown... and you've become quite an attractive young woman, too. Ranma must be so glad to have you as his fiancee..."
Akane blushed at the comment. "Um, well, our fathers did make that contract, after all, Mrs. Saotome..."
"Please, call me auntie, Akane-chan!" Nodoka smiled. "Our families have been friends for such a long time..."
"So... is there any reason that you show up now, of all times?" Ranma asked. "Not that I'm not happy, it's just... unexpected. And why didn't Pop never mention that you were witches?"
Ranko grinned. "I've turned 13 last week, and that's the age a young witch gets her own broom." She took her broom from her mother and showed it to Ranma. "Look, isn't he cool? I called him Kamikaze!"
Akane blinked. "You... gave your broom a name?"
"It's a witch tradition," Nodoka explained. "The broomstick is more than a tool for a witch, he's her personal companion and friend. I received my broom from Ranko's grandmother when I was her age. My broom is called Shuriken."
"But what does that have to do with your visit?" Ranma wondered.
"Well, I always wanted to meet you, oniichan, and I've often asked Mom if we could come for a visit... but she always said that you and Daddy were too busy with your own training, and that I had no time either because of my studies... but now that I'm 13 and got my own broom, I asked her again, and this time, she said yes."
"Well, Ranko has shown that she is a responsible girl, and I wanted to make her happy on that special day, so I agreed."
"And why didn't you inform us earlier?" Akane asked. "So we were prepared for your arrival?"
"Does that mean you didn't get my letter?" Nodoka wondered.
Ranko groaned. "Mom, did you send it via owl mail again? You know that those birds never bring the mail in time..."
At the same time, Genma and Soun were walking back home from one of their favorite bars.
"Thish ish life, ishn't it, Tendo?" Genma babbled while swinging around a bottle of sake.
Soun nodded while leaning against his more burly friend. "Sho true, Shaotome, sho true... with the children at home, there'sh nobody to shtop us from our favorite activity... we never did shomething like thish ever since we've been travelling with the mashter... thoshe were timesh, eh, Shaotome?"
Genma nodded. "Yesh, if you forget the timesh thoshe angry women chased ush out of their villages... but at leasht we were away from our controlling wivesh."
"That'sh true," Soun nodded. "No Kimiko, no Nodo... Nodo... Nodo..."
"What'sh the matter, old buddy?" Genma mumbled. "You forgot the name of my wife? It'sh Nodo..."
Soun gestured ahead. "Nodoka!"
Genma nodded. "Right, that'sh her name, it'sh Nodo... Nodo... Nodo..." He began to stutter himself when he saw an all too familiar figure up ahead, as well as a younger girl who almost looked like Ranma's female form, and also a pair of broomsticks...
"Nodoka!" Genma gasped. "Quick, Tendo, run for your life..."
But Nodoka had already heard his voice and turned around. She frowned when she saw her husband and Soun, and realized the state the two were in. "Husband... why is it that every time I see you, you're drunk? And Soun, I really thought better of you..."
Akane sighed. "Dad, have you gone to the bar again? Didn't Kasumi tell you not to spoil your appetite before dinner?"
"Nodo... Nodoka-chan!" Soun muttered. "How good to shee you again..."
"We... were jusht havin' a little drink, No-chan..." Genma muttered.
Nodoka shook her head. "EMOCEB REBOS!" she shouted, and in an instant, the two fathers became sober.
They blinked and looked at each other. "Aww, that always takes the fun out of it..." Genma sighed.
Ranko giggled. "Silly Daddy, you'll never change, do you?"
Genma looked down at the girl. "R-ranko-chan? Is that you?" He smiled. "My, you've sure grown... come, give your Daddy a hug!"
"I'd rather give you a kick to the rear..." Ranma grumbled. "Pops, why didn't you ever tell me that Mom and Ranko are witches?"
Genma cleared his throat. "Well, son, that was to your own protection... and to my own."
"Protection?" Ranko asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Nodoka glared at her husband. "Your father means that he's afraid of magic. He knows that in a battle, my spells would be superior to his techniques of Anything Goes. That's the main reason why you suggested to take Ranma along on your training journey, wasn't it, dear?"
"But No-chan!" Genma protested. "What was I supposed to do? You are a witch, and Ranko was growing up to be one as well. I was already at the mercy of your spells... did you want our son to live in the same fear as I did?"
"What? But I would never use my spells against oniichan," Ranko said in surprise.
"Neither would I," Nodoka said. "Ranma, your father has become paranoid when it comes to magic... that's why we never met before."
Ranma scratched his head. "If that is true, then why did he bring me to Jusenkyo?"
Nodoka froze. Ranko looked up at her mother. "Mom? What's wrong? What is this 'Jusenkyo' they are talking about?"
"A place with many cursed springs in China," Nodoka whispered. "Every witch knows about them, and we know to stay away from them. Only a fool would go there on his own. Genma, how could you? Don't tell me you acquired a curse..."
"Both of us did, actually," Ranma sighed. "Pops turns into a panda..."
Ranko giggled. "Oooh, Daddy, that's too cute... and what about you, big brother?"
Ranma scratched the back of his head. "W-well, I, um... I turn into..."
Genma paled. "NO! RANMA! DON'T SAY IT!"
"Gee, what's the matter with you?" Ranma grumbled. "It's a bit embarrassing, but it's not THAT bad."
"Ranchan's turning into a girl when splashed with cold water," Ukyo grinned.
For a while, everyone was quiet.
"HOORAY!" Ranko then shouted and hugged Ranma. "I have a big sister!"
Nodoka's stare was like a pair of icy daggers that were thrown at her husband. At this moment, Genma would give anything to be someplace else.
"Husband... this is your fault, isn't it?" she asked.
"It sure was," Ranma nodded. "He dragged me to those stupid training grounds, after all."
Genma gulped.
"And you know that a curse that turns Ranma into a girl doesn't exactly help to make him manly, don't you?"
"Please, No-chan, I..." Genma stuttered.
"I am sorry, husband," Nodoka sighed. "But you leave me no choice..."
Genma's face turned as white as a sheet when he remembered the contract. "NO! No-chan, anything but that..."
She frowned. "Too late! NRUT OTNI A ESUOM ROF A YAD!"
And just like the girls before him, Genma transformed in front of their eyes. He grew even smaller than Akane, Kodachi and Ukyo did, and his clothes fell upon him like a giant tent.
Ranko fumbled around in her father's clothes. "Daddy?" Finally, she picked up a small mouse. It had white fur, but also black markings like those of a panda. She giggled. "You're too cute, Daddy!"
Genma squeaked in protest when he was being put into his daughter's breast pocket. He looked out of it and raised a tiny, wooden sign: 'Now do you see what I wanted to protect you from, boy?'
"Well... I guess he deserved that," Ranma said. "But how long is he gonna stay like this?"
"For a day," Nodoka explained. "The standard procedure, right, honey? Now, why don't you show me where you live, Soun? I can't wait to meet your other daughters..."
Soun gulped. When he saw what happened to his friend, he was afraid the same would happen to him, so he decided that making Nodoka angry wasn't a good thing.
"P-please come this way, Nodoka, Ranko-chan..." he muttered.
"Bye, Ukyo!" Ranko smiled as they left. "It was nice seeing you again! And sorry I turned you into a rabbit."
'If it always includes being held by Ranchan while in the nude, you can do it again and again...' Ukyo blushed dreamily.
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(Posted Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:55)
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