Chapter Text
Ranma felt the world slow down as a panda leapt out of the water, knocking him off the bamboo pole. He didn’t have time to make out the Guide’s words before the spring reached up and swallowed him. More than just the cold from the water, Ranma felt a tingling deep in his bones. Something was odd. He struggled to the surface, his instincts kicking in to keep him from drowning. Pulling himself from the water he noticed that something was horribly wrong. He had paws. Not just paws, but skinny legs covered in a thin layer of black fur attached to them. He looked up, unaware that he was on all fours. The Guide towered above him.
“Dearest customer!” the Guide shouted frantically. “What a horrible tragedy! You have fallen into the spring of Drowned Fox!”
“What happened?” Ranma tried to say, but it came out as a high pitched whine. His face felt odd and didn’t move how it should.
The Panda that had just attacked him plodded over, grumbling incoherently.
Wait, why would I expect a panda to be able to speak? Ranma realized suddenly.
“Don’t worry, there is a cure,” the guide quickly reassured the angry bear. “Hot water will return you to normal.”
Not knowing what else to do, Ranma followed the Guide and panda back to his small house. He looked at himself as best he could, noting that he was covered in yellow(?) fur and had a large, fluffy tail swinging behind him. At least he thought he was yellow. For some reason, colors all looked a bit different to him now, as if the world was less saturated. He tried to stand on two legs, but found that he couldn’t do that and walk at the same time.
It had been a long time since Ranma had felt this vulnerable, definitely not since he was a little kid. But being in this form, near the much larger panda and human, he felt his instincts warning him to run and hide. Forcing himself to sit and wait, he decided not to address the fact that he had unintentionally classified the Guide as human in contrast to himself.
The Guide, removing a kettle of hot water from the fire, poured some on the panda’s head before moving to do the same to Ranma. Ranma felt the same tingling as earlier, and before he knew it, he was sitting on the ground in his old body. He sighed in relief.
“What the hell was that?!” Genma roared, leaning over the Guide menacingly. Ranma looked down at his hands, never more thankful to have opposable thumbs.
“Cursed springs of Jusenkyo,” the Guide answered nervously. “I tried to warn you of dangers if you fall in.”
“Well, at least the curses are removed,” Genma said, relaxing slightly.
“Cure only temporary,” the Guide stammered. “Curse permanent. Cold water will activate curse, hot will return you to normal.”
“We can’t go through life turning into animals whenever we get wet!” Genma yelled. “I can’t go around as a panda, and my only son turned into a fox! It’s disgraceful! What is the cure!” Genma demanded, grabbing the Guide’s collar and shaking him roughly.
“There’s… no… cure,” the Guide managed, before swallowing nervously as Genma drew back his fist.
“Hey, hey, what are you doing!?” Ranma shouted, trying to intervene. Genma kicked him away before he could get close enough to protect the Guide.
“Okay, okay,” the Guide said, looking very shaken. “There may be a way, but likely to be unwanted effects. True cure requires acceptance, but…”
“Show us,” Genma growled.
“This spring may help regain human form, but know that—,” the Guide trailed off as Genma booted a surprised Ranma into the spring, “—this is the Spring of Drowned Girl.”
“What’s this now?” Genma asked as Ranma spluttered to the surface.
Like the first time, Ranma had felt a tingling when he entered the water, but unlike last time, he still had hands. Hands that had slightly longer fingers, that looked more elegant than he was used to. As he stood at the edge, shaking water out of his gi, he noticed that it was rather tight on his chest and loose everywhere else. His pants sat lower than usual, riding his hips, presumably pushed down by their soaked weight. He reached up to squeeze the water out of his hair, and noticed in the corner of his vision that his hair was… red? He looked up to see his father gaping at him, his mouth hanging open.
“What?” he asked, irritably, in a voice that wasn’t his own. It was higher and softer than the rough voice he was used to. Androgynous. “What are you staring at?”
Genma slowly pointed toward the top of Ranma’s head.
“I’m so sorry,” the Guide said, bowing deeply. “I tried to tell you. Complications.”
Ranma instinctively reached up to feel where his father was pointing. Something furry twitched when he touched it, and he… felt… his own… touch?
“Whaaaat!?” he yelped.
He had fuzzy ears on the top of his scalp, sticking through his hair. He reached down past his temples and felt… nothing. His ears were gone. Or, rather, they had moved, but they were no longer his ears. He felt something brush against his leg. He looked down to see a thick, fluffy, orange tail swishing back and forth. He grabbed it and tried to pull it away from him, but he felt a yank at the base of his spine, and… Oh no. He fell to his knees in a daze, his world spinning. No no nonono NO.
“WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON?” Genma roared. “You’ve debased his honor, you’ve dishonored me, he’s a— a— a—“
Ranma glanced down at himself and froze. His gi had fallen open slightly with how he was squatting, giving him a good look at his chest. Which looked suspiciously like…
“A GIRL!” Genma finally shouted. “You turned him into a pathetic, worthless girl, and not even a normal girl, some sort of half-human freak! What am I supposed to do, huh?”
Ranma felt like he was drowning in emotions that he couldn’t even begin to recognize. He knew he should be horrified and disgusted by his own body, but the feelings just wouldn’t come. He could, however, feel an overwhelming sense of shame, made worse by his father’s reaction. He drew his gi tight and hugged himself, rocking back and forth, his eyes closed and his head down. It was too much. His father was too loud, too angry, and Ranma’s body was *different,* and he just couldn’t…
The Guide started speaking as Ranma let out a high pitched whine, but Ranma wasn’t in a place to listen.
“…can’t remove curses, but can sometimes combine them. But very, very unpredictable…”
“But why couldn’t you have taken us to the Spring of Drowned Man?”
“Spring dried up. No longer option.”
“Being a panda is better than being a woman. At least I’ve maintained my honor.”
“You have interesting priorities, dear customer.”
“At least let’s turn him back. Seeing him like this sickens me.”
“As you wish, dear customer.”
Ranma was barely aware of the Guide pulling him to his feet and leading him back to the fire, Genma steadfastly refusing to look at him. As soon as the water was ready Genma snatched it out of the Guide’s hands and threw it onto Ranma. To everyone’s surprise, Ranma immediately shrank into his vulpine form.
“What’s this?” Genma gasped in horror.
“Like I said, curses combine unpredictably. Very dangerous solution.”
Ranma watched as Genma fainted, narrowly missing the fire as he fell.
“Don’t worry, dear customer,” the Guide said, fixing Ranma with a sympathetic gaze. “Many people live long, fulfilling lives with such a curse.” He splashed him with cold water, changing him back into a human, at least mostly. “Better to be human with cold water. More common. Most people have opposite curse, turn into animal at most inopportune times.”
“I suppose,” Ranma said softly, shooting his father a worried glance. “But how will I be the man I need to be looking like this.”
“Springs don’t give you what you need, instead reveal who you are.”
“Are you saying that on the inside I’m really a half girl, half fox hybrid?”
“Not for me to say. Not for father to say either. Up to you.”
Ranma sighed, holding his head in his hands. He felt his ears twitching between his fingers.
“I can’t be… this. I just can’t.” The Guide watched him sadly. “I wish it were that easy, but it’s not.”
“I never said it would be easy. Called a curse for a reason.”
2 weeks later
Souun opened the door to reveal a massive panda standing beside a redheaded person holding an umbrella. They were wearing a knit cap, sitting loosely on their head, presumably to accommodate their long hair tied up in a bun, and a yellow rain slicker. This was all the more unusual when the Tendous realized that it was not a rainy day. There weren’t even any clouds in the sky.
“You must be…,” Souun forced himself to say calmly, pointedly ignoring the intimidating panda.
“Saotome Ranma. Sorry ‘bout this.”
“At least he’s kind of cute,” Nabiki whispered to Akane as Kasumi led their guest and panda?! to the table.
“Was your father unable to make it?” Souun asked, still eying Ranma with confusion.
“No, he’s…,” Ranma gestured futilely at the panda. “Would it be possible for me to have some hot water. It’ll be easier if I just show ya.”
The Tendous watched in horror as Ranma calmly took the cup of hot water from Kasumi and nonchalantly tossed it all over the panda. Souun looked like he was about to faint when the panda was suddenly replaced by his old friend.
“It’s been awhile, Souun,” Genma said genially. “It’s probably best if I start at the beginning.”
A twice soaked Ranma sat uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the Tendous. They had removed their hat and raincoat, revealing their ears and untying their tail from their back, letting it swish nervously behind them.
“So you’re telling me this girl,” Nabiki gestured emphatically at Ranma, “is really a boy.”
Kasumi shot Nabiki a placid look that, to Ranma, spoke of mortal danger.
“It is truly a tragedy,” Souun said, nodding gravely.
“To be denied his masculinity, turned into a weak, useless girl… Could there be a worse fate?” Genma said dramatically, looking at Ranma with undisguised disgust. “And after all the effort it’s been to overcome his girliness…,” he muttered.
Ranma curled up into themself, bringing their tail into their lap, but carefully schooled their features so that none of their emotional weakness would be obvious. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stop their ears from flattening, but it seemed like most people, most notably Genma, were terrible at reading their nonhuman body language.
Ranma glanced up and caught Akane staring. She immediately blushed and looked away, but for a moment she seemed almost concerned. Nabiki was staring too, but her expression was more predatory. It made Ranma want to run and hide.
“But not to worry, old friend,” Genma laughed, his mood having flipped suddenly. “The engagement is still on. Ranma can marry one of your daughters as soon as he’s cured, and the schools will be combined. And in the meantime,” Genma leaned in conspiratorially, “my son is still all man where it counts.”
Ranma flushed with shame and disgust at the reminder. Did they have to be a freak in *every* respect? Besides, what was in their pants was nobody’s business except their own, and they wished that they could just forget about it. They hung their head, afraid to meet the eyes of anyone at the table.
“You’re right, of course,” Souun said, happy to change the topic. “Ranma, these are my daughters, Kasumi, 19, Nabiki, 17, and Akane, 16. Which one would you like as your fiancee?”
“Wha— I— What!?” Ranma sputtered, looking to the Tendou girls desperately. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m afraid he’s much too young for me,” Kasumi said, smiling at them gently.
“He’s really not my type,” said Nabiki quickly. She looked at Akane slyly. “However, he would be perfect for Akane. She’s a martial artist too, and she hates boys. Not to mention her obsession with foxes. Ranma would be perfect for her.”
“Nabiki! Hold on, I don’t,” she glanced at Ranma, blushing. “I can’t—“
“Then it’s decided,” Souun said with satisfaction. “Akane will be engaged to your son.”
“Very well,” Genma nodded.
Ranma and Akane stared at each other in shock.
“Akane, why don’t you go ahead and give Ranma a tour? He will be staying here for some time, after all.”
Akane nodded numbly and took Ranma by the hand, pulling them to their feet and leading them out the door. They found themselves in the Tendou dojo before either of them said anything.
“I know we were pushed into this engagement, but do you want to be friends?” Akane asked.
Ranma nodded shyly. “I’d like that,” they said softly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a friend.”
Akane started to ask, but thought better of it. “Well, you have one now. My father said you’re a martial artist. Would you like to spar?”
For the first time since arriving at the Tendous’ home, Ranma seemed to perk up.
“Yeah! Let’s go! Show me what you’re made of!” said Ranma excitedly, jumping back toward the center of the dojo. “I’m ready when you are.”
Akane assumed a fighting stance and waited, surprised that Ranma merely stood casually with their arms behind their back.
“Ya comin’ or what?” Ranma smirked.
Akane huffed in amusement. This boy was certainly confident, but didn’t appear to be anything like the prodigy her father told her about. She looked forward to humbling them.
In a flash she leapt at them, striking so fast that she was sure that Ranma could only see her as a blur. They didn’t need to see her. Ranma easily leapt two meters off the ground and landed gently behind her before she realized what happened. Spinning around, she fired off a dazzling series of punches, each with the power to instantly knock someone out. Ranma moved gracefully, easily dodging each attack by moving the minimum amount necessary. Finally, after several frustrating minutes Akane grew tired of Ranma’s incessant giggling and managed to maneuver them with their back against the wall.
Try dodging this, Akane thought, grinning.
She put extra speed and force into her punch, aimed point blank at Ranma’s head. There was no way she could miss, and as nimble as they were, Ranma didn’t seem like they could take a hit like that and remain standing. Akane blinked as she felt her hand smash through the wall. Ranma was gone. She jumped as she felt a poke to the back of her head.
“I win,” Ranma giggled.
Akane was furious at having been shown up so easily, but seeing Ranma’s genuine smile caused her anger to dissipate before it could really start to build. They were so unlike any guy she had ever met. Despite herself, she started giggling too, and before long they were both clenching their sides, gasping for breath.
Akane was still a little irritated, though.
“So why didn’t you ever strike back?” Akane asked. “You had plenty of opportunities. It better not be something misogynistic like refusing to hit a girl,” Akane snarled.
“No, no, no, it’s nothing like that,” Ranma insisted, surprised by Akane’s sudden change of mood. “It’s just that— Pops and I spent a year at a monastery near Chongqing, and they made a big deal about not striking unless there’s no other way to win the fight, and I guess it just stuck with me.”
Akane’s expression didn’t change.
“You had me on the ropes a few times, honest. But even when I felt like I should have hit you, your offensive was so strong that I never really had an opening. You’re real good, Akane.”
Akane sighed. “Okay, I guess that makes me feel a little bit better. I still don’t like the idea of losing to a guy.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’m not much of a guy anymore,” Ranma said softly.
“I’m sorry about your curse,” Akane said gently. “That must be so hard.”
“Well, hot water was hard to come by in China, so I’ve hardly spent any time as a fox,” Ranma said evenly.
“What about your current form?”
“Oh, it was pretty weird at first, and it’s definitely inconvenient, but honestly I’d miss the ears and tail now that I’ve gotten used to them. And I learned a technique to hide them, at least for a while, so I don’t always have to worry about looking like a freak.”
“I meant the whole being a girl thing,” Akane said, surprised by Ranma’s obliviousness.
“Oh yeah, being a girl is different, but it’s honestly not nearly as bad as my pops makes it sound. I mean, you’re a girl, so you’d know. It’s so much easier than being a guy. ‘Sides, I’m actually kind of— what’s the word? Amphibious?”
“Androgynous.”
“Yeah, that. So that feels better than bein’ super girly lookin’.” Ranma sighed. “Yeah, other than my pops, the curse has made things way easier.”
Akane blinked at him. “Easier how?”
“Well, girl bodies are a lot more comfortable. And people aren’t nearly so weird and competitive with me when they think I’m a girl. And I know like manliness and everything is what everyone aspires to, but if you look like a girl, people don’t treat you so bad if you’re a little girly sometimes.”
“Okay, well, that’s good that you’re adjusting so well… Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just be a girl? Like if you had the option?”
“Well, of course, but who wouldn’t? Things would be so much easier. Not that I want to be a girl or anything,” Ranma said quickly. “It’s my duty as a Saotome to be a man among men, no matter how hard that may be. A Saotome never backs down from a challenge!”
“Of course not. I wasn’t implying that at all,” Akane said, internally cringing. She needed to get Ranma away from their father’s influence as soon as possible. “Have you ever heard of transgender women, women who were born as boys but later learned they were girls?”
“My pops talks about them a lot, but he’s never had anything good to say. He’s got a lot of violent fantasies about them, actually…” Ranma swallowed and shrank down on themself. “So maybe they’re not so bad after all. Most of his enemies seem like very nice people.” They glanced up at Akane and suddenly stiffened. “Wait, you’re not implying— Oh no, are you one of them, because my pops— Don’t worry, I can beat him in a fight easy, I’ll protect you from him!”
“That’s not— I wasn’t worried about— thank you, Ranma, for your concern, but I can handle myself. But… yeah,” Akane admitted, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. “That’s why I was asking. When I was a kid, everyone told me I should be a guy, and I hated every second of it.”
“That sounds real rough. I can relate. I always hated bein’ a guy too. I’m glad you were brave enough to transition. Sometimes I wish I was trans too. That way I could just enjoy the curse and not have to feel guilty all the time.”
“Are you sure you’re not…”
“Yeah, that’s the kind of thing you just know, right? ’Sides, I happen to like girls, so I gotta be a guy.”
“Ranma, I’m a lesbian.”
Ranma stared at her blankly. “A what?”
Oh my god, Akane groaned internally.
“That means I like girls. As a girl. That’s a thing that exists.”
“Oh. *Oh.* That’s so cool!” Ranma said breathlessly. “That’s like the best orientation. You get to be a girl and date girls, both!?”
"Thanks, Ranma. I'm glad you're okay about it."
“Of course! Man, I’m kind of jealous. Not in a weird way,” they quickly corrected themself. “Just, like, you get to like girls without all of the normal weird power imbalances. That’s like real love. It’s so much more romantic than the normal way. I’ve read books like that, though I didn’t know it was a real thing. Saw books, I mean. It’s not like I read that stuff, because I’m a guy. I know it’s not for me. Not that I read any romance, obviously, because it wouldn’t be manly. Nope.”
“You’re killing me, Ranma,” Akane muttered under her breath. Louder, she said, “I’m glad that you’re so understanding, what with the engagement and all.”
“Well, it’s not like you even agreed to it in the first place. I’m sorry that this must be super awkward for you, bein’ engaged to a guy like this. I can try to do less of the super manly stuff around you if it’s annoying. I find it pretty irritating myself. Just let me know.”
“Thank you, Ranma, that’s… very sweet of you.”
Ranma blushed at the praise, then felt suddenly gross.
She’s a girl who likes girls. Of course she won’t be interested in you like this. Don’t be a weirdo.
“Since you said that, I thought I should admit, like, I definitely like girls, obviously, since I’m a straight guy, but sometimes I see a guy, and—“
Just then Nabiki slid the door open and stuck her head in, smirking at Akane and Ranma’s proximity and Ranma’s palpable guilt. She had heard what they were starting to say, and decided it would be excellent blackmail material. This repressed boy was already proving to be a profitable investment.
“Kasumi says dinner’s almost ready. You two have time for a bath first if you hurry.”
“It’s been way too long,” Ranma said, resisting the urge to smell themself. Their sense of smell was greatly enhanced, even in their more human form.
“I’ll show you to the furo,” Akane said, glaring at her sister and trying to not think about the way Ranma’s hand fit into her own.
Akane started to undress as soon as they were both in the furo and away from her sister’s prying eyes.
“Wha— What are you doing?” Ranma stammered, looking away and turning beet red.
“Taking a bath? We’ll have to wash together if we don’t want to miss dinner.”
“But you know I’m really a guy!”
“You don’t look much like a guy right now. No offense.”
“But—“
“I don’t have anything you haven’t seen before.”
“I’m not— I still have— I’m not all girl,” Ranma admitted, hanging their head. “I still have my— I still—“
“It’s okay, Ranma. I do too.” Akane swallowed nervously before collecting herself. “Some girls do, and that’s alright. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and I won’t judge you for it, if you don’t judge me.”
“Really? You don’t think I’m some sort of freak?”
“Of course not. I think you’re beautiful just how you are.”
“I— I— I—,” Ranma sputtered, their brain completely broken.
“Now hurry and get undressed. I’ll run a cold bath so that you don’t have to worry about your curse.”
Ranma’s words wouldn’t come, but they finally relented and joined the already naked Akane by the shower. Ranma accidentally turned the knob the wrong way when they were turning on the shower, and after Akane adjusted it and returned them to human form, all the awkwardness was forgotten.
Ranma caught Akane staring a couple of times, but they never felt like a freak, and quickly forgot about what was hanging between their legs, happy to share the time with their new friend.