At The Beach
A Ranma Nibunnoichi Fanfic
(with some reference to other works by Rumiko Takahashi)
by Chris "Chika" Johnson

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Where am I?

"You are in the bit that states that the characters in this story,
with the exception of Mansaku, Toriko and Sokkenai, are not yours
and are in use without permission."

Who are you?

"I am number two. You are number six."

I AM NOT A NUMBER, I AM A DISCLAIMER!!!

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Chapter Five: Sacrifices

Ranma just sat there, trying hard to remember the life she had
before this curse had trapped her under the sea. Genma, the father
who could always be relied on to screw up his life. Nodoka, the
mother he had hardly known because of his father. All the people at
the dojo... well, half of them were actually down here too, but what
about Shampoo? The old girl, Cologne? Ranma never thought of missing
even Kunos, any of them, but she honestly tried. She remembered some
of the battles against Kuno and his mad sister, Kodachi. Then there
was Ryoga. At least he had come right in a crisis. All these
thoughts still were not enough to persuade Ranma to replace the
circlet.

Akane and Kasumi were outside doing chores. Akane thought it best to
leave Ranma to it, though she still firmly believed that Ranma
should forget about the circlet and let the old man find another
chosen person. Ranma had not told her about the fact that this would
be the one last time that Mansaku could do this.

Kasumi was holding her silence about the whole thing. As far as it
went, nobody knew what her view was, though the business with
Sokkenai had made her curious about the moves he had used on Ranma.
Sometimes, you had to wonder about her.

An anguished scream from the cave told the two Tendo mermaids that
someone was not having an awful lot of luck. Ranma swam out and,
without looking at them, swam off toward the beach. Perhaps there
might be something there that will give me some inspiration. Well,
that was the rough idea. Not that it ultimately did any good, since
all she found there was the usual fisherman, holidaymakers and
village folk, none of which she could approach. Frustration at every
turn, and nothing else for it but to go back to the cave. The
ceremony, if that was what you called it, was tonight. Back in the
cave, Ranma picked it up again and tried to put it back on her head
but, as with so many occasions, her arms just would not obey her.

Akane watched her this time, perversely hoping that Ranma would fail
and remain with her in the depths. It was at this point that an
annoying voice had started to nag at her. But if you stay here, you
and Ranma could never be any more than friends. You had so much more
than that back home. And what of your father and your other sister?
What of your friends at school? So much more? Akane was unsure about
that, but then that was what she was supposed to think. She
remembered what Ranma had said about the curse and its "completion",
which changed her so completely that she would be appalled by going
back to the land so deeply that it would stop her ever wanting human
form. She had to admit it, she liked this life, her body, even this
cave. No aggravation from suitors like Kuno, no getting caught up in
Nabiki's moneymaking schemes, no endless fighting between her and
Ranma, Ranma and Shampoo, Ranma and Kuno, Ranma and whoever else...
no more jealousy. And it was Ranma that came down here to try and
save you. She sacrificed herself to do it. Gave up her masculinity,
her humanity. That was it. They were inhuman. That was the
difference, and that was what Ranma was trying to recover. Not for
herself, but for all of them.

Akane picked the circlet up and gently placed it on Ranma's head.
Ranma looked at her erstwhile fiance with some surprise.

"I thought you wanted to stay down here."

"I do," Akane smiled. "I do, but suddenly I realise why I do, and
that is why you have to do what you have to do, and why I have to do
it too."

"Say what?"

"I want to be a mermaid, but I realise that the thing that is making
me want to be a mermaid isn't part of me. It's part of the curse. It
doesn't matter what I want, because I'm not free to make the choice,
just as you weren't free to put that back on your head. It's like
someone wanted us to be caught up like this."

Ranma, now free of her cursed view of humanity, swam over and hugged
Akane, then; "it's nearly time. Mansaku will be waiting for us, and
if we don't get this done this time, nothing else will matter." And
with that, Ranma swam out of the cave and away to the meeting place,
Akane swimming a little behind.

                                ---

"Are you sure that you know the way?" Kuno asked for the sixth time
that day.

"Not far now," Ryoga responded, cheerily, though he had doubts of
his own.

Nabiki just sighed. She had seen this coming.

                                ---

Mansaku waited at his post. His paraphernalia was all erected, his
potions all brewed, and the moon was beginning to rise. It was too
long, and he wearied of this life. He thought back over it, over the
days he had spent regretting his actions, his longing to see his
wife and family again, then the memory of his early days before the
curse came back, bringing tears to his eyes at the happy echoes that
those days evoked. The curse had been long, but now there was a
chance to make amends for his deed and finally rest.

Ranma popped her head above the waves by the rocks where she had
first met the old man and looked around. Actually, she had to do it
a fair way out since the tide was out and there was a small beach
between her and the rocks, but Mansaku was there on the beach, ready
with whatever it was he was supposed to have for the casting. Then
Akane and Kasumi emerged by her side.

"You came?"

"I really want to be a mermaid," Akane said, "but I don't want to
leave my family, and I don't want to lose you, Ranma. If that means
becoming human," - no shudder! - "then so be it!"

"Kasumi?"

"I think Father would miss me if I stayed here."

Well, that was the reason she gave, but then Kasumi often said less
than she meant. Goddess knew why she did anything!

"I'm coming too!" Toriko suddenly appeared a little way down the
beach.

"So there you are," Mansaku responded to this. "I always wondered
what had become of my friend, the swan girl."

"Good to see you too, Mansaku," Toriko replied. "Good job I ran
across these guys when I did."

A number of other merfolk now emerged onto the beach, and Ranma was
surprised by the numbers that seemed to want to return to the land.
Some they knew, others were wholly new to them. Some were much
younger than Ranma, obviously cursed as babes and probably only
wanting to return to their families. Others were older, and Ranma
was unable to guess why these folk would want to go back. Then she
saw Sokkenai.

"What are you doing here?" Ranma asked scornfully.

"Consider," replied the runt. "I am disgraced below the waves
because of my actions during our last fight. Consider also that it
is now obvious to me that you learned skills above the waves that
cannot be learned below them. I wish to learn these skills also."

Ranma cooled. Perhaps Sokkenai was not so bad after all.

"When those skills are learned, Ranma, I shall then seek you out and
destroy you!" Sokkenai snarled.

Ranma held her hands up in exasperation and turned to another form
she knew. It was the stocky mermaid from the dojo. "And I suppose
that you want to learn skills too," she said.

"I did say that I would like to visit the Tendo dojo," the mermaid
replied. "It didn't take a genius to work out where it was,
especially with the runt over there puffing about going to places
like Jusenkyo and so forth. So I'll visit, though I'll need
something more conducive to land travel to get there!" She slapped
her tail on the sand and laughed. Ranma smiled.

"You will be welcome at my fathers' dojo," Akane said simply.

Mansaku now held up his hands to still the crowd of seafolk that had
gathered, then cleared his throat. "Now hear me, all ye assembled,"
he intoned with as much ceremony as he could muster. "Know ye that
the way that ye now be considering cannot be returned upon. Ye shall
leave the seas, and never return save by ways other than the curse
upon ye. All those that wish to remain in the sea, must leave now
and not return to this place until the night is done, and my casting
is complete."

A few merfolk dropped back into the water at this, though a couple
quickly returned. Damn but I'm good at this! thought Mansaku. He
then approached Ranma and touched her tail. The cursed skin seemed
to come away easily, leaving Ranma with a tail just as Akane had,
though there was little difference overall in appearance.

Then it began, and every merman and mermaid on the beach fell asleep
except for Ranma. Ranma panicked, looking around to find Akane
asleep beside her.

"Do not worry," Mansaku said, resting a hand on the mermaids'
shoulder. "She is well. When she awakes, my work shall be done."

Ranma was not too sure about this, but she did calm down, watching
the old man as he started his work.

                                ---

"It will be morning soon," Ryoga said to the others as they fought
their way through the undergrowth. At least they could hardly get
lost coming this way; there was only one path! Not only that, but
Ryoga seemed to know the place where they had picked it up.
Something to do with an old man and a chance encounter with a water
bucket, but Nabiki was unclear on this.

"For your sake, boy, I hope that this is the right path this time,"
Kuno threatened, his hand on his hilt.

"Don't you threaten me, Kendo-boy," Ryoga snarled back. "Or you
could always go back home."

Nabiki had long since given up any hope of mediating between these
idiots. It just was not profitable, and now Ranma owed her some new
boots. These ones had been almost worn out by this trip due to the
roundabout way that Ryoga had used to get here. Or, perhaps, she
could find a way to extort them from Kuno. Pointless to try getting
a pair out of Ryoga; he was not just the eternal lost boy, he was
also eternally broke.

The three walked on as the sun sent its first rays over the horizon.

                                ---

Akane woke first, finding that she had not yet changed back, but
that there was definitely something changing. She looked around and
saw Ranma seemingly floating in mid-air, shining, circlet gleaming
as it caught the first sunbeams of the day. As the sun started to
rise, Akane realised that Ranma was transforming back to human, and
as she did so, so did Akane. So did Kasumi. So did every other
merperson on the beach. The curse was lifting! Akane now stood up
for the first time in weeks (a lifetime, it seemed to her) and
staggered towards the scene. Most of the other beach occupants were
either still asleep or only just waking up, and Akane had to try to
be careful not to step on anyone, though she did make a few mistakes
as she attempted to get used to her legs again.

Now Mansaku gently dropped Ranma back to the ground and, finally,
remove the circlet. Ranma had not been sleeping but had been unable
to do much while the final part of the transformation had been going
on, but now she sat up and saw Mansaku slump to the floor.

"Hey, old man! What's wrong?"

"I am dying," Mansaku gasped, his voice now failing him. "The curse
is now broken, and I go to my rest."

Now Akane was there, on the old man's other side.

"I thought you said that you would only die if we didn't do this!"
Ranma said, a sob in her voice.

"If I had told you that I would die by this casting, would you have
done it? Indeed, you may have stayed a mermaid out of some misguided
penance, but it would have been in vain. I wanted this. Ranma, I was
bound to die no matter what, as soon as the hide returned to the
sea. It was merely my wish to make sure that I lifted the curse,
such as I could, for those that wished, before I met my rest. That
was my penance, and now I get my reward. I have lived on this Earth
far too long, and wished for my family that passed to the waves many
generations ago. Now I have that." He turned his head. "Grieve not
for me, Akane. You have your wish, and a long life ahead with your
Ranma. You have much to live for."

"But..."

But nothing. Mansaku was already dead. Possibly he had now met up
with his family. Ranma, still naked but not really caring about it,
lifted the old man and carried him to the ocean. Without a word, a
number of merfolk rose from the waves and took the body from her,
carrying it out to sea.

Ranma now went back to Akane, and put an arm around her. "He would
have died either way."

"I know. Ranma..."

Ranma looked at Akane, wondering what was on her mind. A few moments
passed, then Akane said it.

"Thank you, Ranma."

"Well, it has been real," said another voice. Toriko stood there, as
naked as they, "but it's well past the time I made up for some lost
flying time." Ranma could hear in her voice that Toriko was
blustering. She was probably more hurt about Mansaku's passing than
anyone else. Just what was she to the old man? Ranma thought, but
externally saying nothing beyond the usual pleasantries of parting
friends. With a quick splash, a great white swan suddenly beat the
air, climbing from the waves as a swan will, then flying high over
the cliff.

There was a sudden crash of undergrowth, and two battle cries raged,
cutting through the silence of the moment and destroying it forever.

"Curse you, Ranma Saotome!!!"

"Come to me, my Akane!!!"

The responses were almost as simultaneous. Blushes as they realised
they were both naked (and Ranma female), outrage at being seen naked
by two known boys of their acquaintance, anger, retaliation, and a
sudden birth of two new low level comets disappearing over the
forest into the nearby cliff face.

"I think you should both put something on," Nabiki said, drily, as
she sauntered toward the beach.

                                -oOo-

"Come on, Ranma! We're late!"

"Yeah, and who is slowing us down then?" Ranma responded.

"Hey, I was ready! You were the one that had to sleep in!" Akane
accused him as they ran down the road together, pursued by Shampoo
who "wanted Ranma to go on date" on the dreaded bicycle. They turned
now into the school, only to be faced by Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue
Thunder of Furinken High School. Or was it the Purple Heartburn?
Ranma could never be too sure. With Shampoo thwarted behind them
courtesy of the school doors and Kuno buried in the cold earth with
two kick marks to the face, Ranma and Akane settled down to the
inevitable bucket duty with resigned sighs. Yes, it was good to be
back.

"Pervert," Akane grumbled.

"Tomboy," replied Ranma.

Akane and Ranma looked at each other.

"We should go back to that village again next year," Akane said,
apropos nothing.

"Perhaps we should," Ranma smiled back.



THE END