Ranma ½ Red, Violet and Black

Chapter 3

Ranma awkwardly stared down at her still female form for a few seconds. What now again? Why was she not changing back into a boy? The water had been plenty hot enough. Her musings were interrupted by Kodachi curiously asking: "So, how much time does this transformation usually take, Ranma darling?"

The redhead was uneasily fidgeting around and retorted: "Well, not long normally. Actually It's usually pretty much instantaneous."

The other girl furrowed her brows and said: "Oh, then why are you still a girl? Was it not enough hot water? Shall I bring some more?"

"I guess?" Came Ranma's uncertain reply. Huffing at the vague answer her hostess left the room once more only to return with a whole tea kettle full of steaming hot water a bit later. Anxiously the boy turned girl took it and then proceeded to pour the entire contents of the kettle over her head. It had the same effect as the glass before. None. Well that was not entirely true. It did completely drench Ranma once more and resulted in her standing wet and dripping in the Kuno guest room.

Speaking of Kunos, Kodachi's facial expression visibly darkened. "If this was all some cruel joke after all, I swear..." She started to hiss in a low threatening voice.

Quickly her red haired guest waved her hands around defensively and interrupted the black haired girl: "No. It wasn't a joke, I promise. I told you nothing but the truth. Well, tonight at least."

The Kuno girl calmed down somewhat again and then retorted: "So why is the hot water not working?"

"I don't know!" Whined Ranma: "Something is wrong. Apparently I'm stuck again for some reason or another. What did I do now again? Why does stuff like this keep happening to me?"

"Stuck? Again?" Asked an obviously puzzled Kodachi.

While angrily getting wet strands of hair out of her face Ranma answered: "Yeah, there have been several occasions when I was locked in my girl form for various magic or other reasons, though I have no idea what it is now again. Just fantastic. I hate my life." While she was still grumbling the young martial artist routinely got out of her shirt and started to wring it out.

She was quickly interrupted by a girlish shriek from Kodachi. Startled she looked up at the Kuno heiress. The Black Rose was violently blushing and staring wide eyed at Ranma, who at that moment belatedly realized she was now actually completely naked from the waist up.

"What are you doing?" Kodachi managed to complain eventually: "This is highly improper, Ranma darling. Get your clothes back on. Don't you have any female modesty? Wait... don't answer that. I can already guess the answer. And don't wring out your clothes on my floor by the way. It probably costs more than the entire Tendo Dojo."

The redhead felt her own cheeks redden in embarrassment as she hastily scrambled back into her shirt. "Sorry." She apologized and then decided on a course of action: "Well, thank you for everything anyways Kodachi but I'm afraid I have to go."

"What?" the other girl shot back irritated: "Where are you going my dear? What about the stuck as girl thing?"

"I'm going to the Cat Café." Ranma replied while walking towards the door of the room. That was obviously a mistake because promptly a familiar ribbon wrapped itself around her head, followed by her being dragged backwards by said ribbon.

Kodachi was seething with jealousy now: "What do you want at the restaurant of that Chinese floozy? It's barely four in the morning."

"Calm down." The pigtailed girl tried to appease the Kuno heiress: "I don't want anything from Shampoo in particular. I just want to talk with her old ghoul of a great-grandmother. Most of the time I was stuck as a girl she helped me out somehow... or was responsible for it in the first place. Anyways she knows more about magic than anyone else I know."