PM Productions Presents A Phillip Masters Fanfic Feelings Are Blind Part Two: A Fickle Mistress Tenchi walked home slowly. The evening air was crisp and cool, and filled with the odors of spring. As he strolled along past people who seemed so intent on their destinations he thought of why he came to Nerima in the first place. He needed to get away from it all, away from the constant stress and tension of the temple. It was an incredible irony that the big city had a more relaxed environment than an ancient temple buried deep in the woods. A hideous irony, and an unfortunate one. He could still recall the days when everything was carefree and pure. Nothing could disturb the calm and pleasant feeling the shrine grounds gave him. Especially the cave; the cave that years later he would find to be occupied by a pirate from outer space. However, regardless of her sorted history, Tenchi was undyingly grateful to her for watching over him. He could always feel her presence at the cave, even though he could not know what it was there that comforted him. Then, when he had released her, and she had stopped attempting to kill him, he found the friend he had always truly wanted. A companion who was wild, unlike him, and knew how to have fun. What he didn’t expect was for that friend to fall in love with him. As well, he didn’t expect her to be beautiful and so easy to fall in love with. Had it only been him and Ryouko he most likely would have married her by now. Thing was, it was not just him and her by any stretch of the imagination. No, there were others. They came like a storm after the first few raindrops. Pouring in from all corners of the galaxy, focused on this one point for various reasons. Ayeka had her vendetta against Ryouko, and was searching for her half-brother Yoshou. Sasami, Ayeka’s younger sister was simply along for the ride. Their fates all brought them here... Ayeka found Tenchi’s grandfather to be her dear Yoshou... Sasami turned out to be one with the greatest of battleships, Tsunami, and helped save both the Earth and Tenchi’s life. This was only the surface scrapings of the whole mess. Next came Mihoshi, the ditsy blond Galaxy Police officer who, quite literally fell from the sky one day. Tenchi sometimes wondered how such an incomparably idiotic person could become a detective in an organization that guards the entire galaxy. He didn’t know whether to be happy for her, or fearful for everyone in the galaxy. The only thing that kept him from packing up and leaving was the fact that she was phenomenally lucky and always seemed to come out on top in the end. She seemed enamored with him, but he didn’t really feel anything for her, beyond friendship, in return. The last addition to the Masaki home was Ryouko’s mother, Washu. She was the self-proclaimed ‘greatest scientist in the universe.’ Thing was, she was believably so. Tenchi had never met anyone with even a fraction of her knowledge and intelligence. She seemed to be so smart as to be on another level than everyone else. The good news was, she came in handy in a tough situation. The bad news was, she fell in love with him too. Tenchi didn’t know what it was about him that aliens seemed to go for, because it sure didn’t extend into the Earthly realm, much to his constant chagrin. He always had a problem getting a girlfriend, mostly because of his upbringing, so isolated and mysterious. His girl skills lacked something major. Now, he had too many of them. It must be the Universe’s final grand jest on his part to make him fall in love with someone who isn’t even a girl. Well, not all the time anyway, and certainly not in mind, which was the important part. Ranma came out of nowhere to steal his heart. He had almost the exact same problems he did, and understood them completely. He was also the most gorgeous person Tenchi had ever laid eyes upon. As a female, he was perfect, from the lonely sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes, to the supple curve of her breast. It was hard to use the proper nouns when dealing with someone so obviously female. When Ranma didn’t talk, it was impossible at that moment to tell him from any other girl who seemed like she needed someone more than anything else. He knew they were right for each other. They were both brought up to be fighters. They both had the world's worst woman problems. They both connected on a level that surpassed gender, and possibly even humanity. He knew they should be together. Now, he just needed to figure out how to prove that to Ranma. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Ranma leapt into his room. He felt his hand still shaking due to his recent ordeal. He also felt an inescapable need for hot water. The hotter, the better. The martial artist left his room stealthily, not wanting to talk to anyone at that moment. He crept to the bathroom and turned the knob on the sink slowly to make the least possible noise. The small trickle of water took longer to get warm than a strong blast, but it did eventually. He carefully splashed himself, feeling the instantaneous change occur, accompanied by a loosening and a release. He sighed and leaned against the wall. He touched his lips again. Even after changing he could still feel the touch of Tenchi on him. He leaned forward and looked into the mirror. A guy stared back... a guy who was blushing. Ranma’s eyes widened in shock and he felt his face to make sure it wasn’t some sort of trick. The overly warm flesh he felt there gave him chills. He couldn’t believe what was happening to him. How, in one hour, he could actually become enamored with someone, and that that someone was a man. He began to think up reasons for his new ailment. Perhaps someone had fed him something, a love potion, or a passion spice of some sort. Maybe he had gotten hit on the head too hard by Akane. Any of this stuff was highly likely in his life, and he knew it very well. It was that life he wanted to escape from so much. It was that life that made him fall for Tenchi. Ranma slid down the wall completely and wrapped his arms around his legs. No matter what the cause, no matter what anyone had done to him, Dr. Tofu could fix it. He could fix anything. He’d have to go see Dr. Tofu. He stared at the wall opposite himself for a moment, trying to pull himself together. He inhaled deeply and rose from the floor. With a final glance into the mirror to reassert reality, he ran from the bathroom and headed for his room. Once there he jumped from his window and hopped with all due haste straight to Tofu’s office. He found Kasumi just walking into it. He skid to a halt right outside the office door, looking at it like someone standing before the very gates to Hell. He knew what was beyond the door, and he knew the pain he would be promised if he crossed the threshold. Ranma may have received injury every day since his arrival in Nerima, but it didn’t mean he liked pain. He backed away from the clinic turned nut barn with a wary look in his eyes. Nothing exploded in his face by the time he got to the street, so he figured everything was okay. Of course, this is the moment a car dove by and splashed him with water from the roadside. For the briefest of seconds he entertained the thought of seeing what the Mokou Takabisha could do to a vehicle. Unfortunately, or fortunately according to who you were, he didn’t have much confidence at that moment. Wet and dejected, he headed down the street in a random direction. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Tenchi noticed he had gotten himself lost. His musings had taken his mind from the unfamiliar path to his apartment, and he soon found himself wandering the back alleys of an entirely unknown part of town. He cursed softly as he turned a corner only to find a solid wall. "You lost, buddy?" Tenchi turned to find five guys standing behind him. They were dressed in typical gang uniform consisting of blue jeans and black leather jackets. He figured they meant him harm, but he would give them the benefit of the doubt for now. "Yeah, could you help me get to Tokashi Street?" he asked in his most innocent tone, which made him sound almost as bad as a tourist. Of course, that was not the actual road he lived on, but one nearby. "Sure we can, but how much is it worth to ya?" One of the punks replied, seemingly the leader. Tenchi could have guessed he would say that. "Aren’t you going to do it out of the generosity of your heart?" The gang almost instantly burst into laughter. After a minute they all finally regained control of themselves. Tenchi simply stood, watching them with a bored expression. The leader grinned after he calmed down. "You don’t get out much do you?" His face darkened slightly, "Okay, we’ll get right down to it. We just want your money, and then we’ll even tell you how to get where you’re going, and you can go safely. Refuse, and you may not make it home at all." Tenchi raised an eyebrow. "Threatening me with death? That seems a bit harsh, doesn’t it?" The shorter guy to the right of the leader spoke up, "Don’t give us any bullshit! You are going to give us what we want." The last line was said so matter-of-fact that Tenchi couldn’t help but smile and say, "You want an ass whoopin’? Because that is what I’m going to give you." With that, he lashed out and punched the leader right in the gut. The thug’s stomached caved under the force with little resistance. His eyes widened and he fell to the ground clutching his wounded abdomen while gasping for air. He pulled back his fist and looked around nonchalantly at the rest of the group. They all looked down at their leader for a moment, as if unsure what had just happened. Then, they all looked up at Tenchi in disbelief. After another second, as Tenchi was just about to walk off, they all reached into various pockets and procured a multitude of weapons. Everything from a butterfly knife to numchucks. Tenchi sighed and moved into a defensive position. "So," he said, "you’re going to continue to be a nuisance are you?" They all answered with a battle cry that echoed throughout the alley and charged him simultaneously. He found himself in a flurry of blades and blunt objects. He deflected blow after blow, keeping a step ahead of his attackers. If he had Tenchi-ken the fight would have been over by then, but he had left it at home in his room. There was no way these simple hooligans could activate the Light Hawk Wings, so Tenchi had little fear of killing the men. Two of the gang dropped to join their leader. The remaining two backed away for a moment to assess their situation. By the looks on their faces they didn’t like it one bit. Tenchi pressed his advantage and stepped menacingly toward the rest of the gang. They flinched backward, seemingly unable to help themselves. Then, Tenchi felt a presence to his left and he flipped around with his arms in a defensive posture. He almost fell over when he came almost face to face with Ranma... Ranma, as a girl. Of course, the rest of the gang had to comment. Tenchi closed his eyes and breathed a sigh as shouts of, "Whoo-hoo!" and, "Hey, babe!" came from behind him. His eyes opened and he spun around in a vicious roundhouse. It connected with both remaining attackers, laying them out cold. He came to a stop at his original starting point, looking at Ranma. "Hey, Ranma." he greeted as though they were meeting under everyday circumstances. Ranma’s gaze told volumes, and was very serious. "Tenchi, we need to talk." Tenchi nodded affirmation and followed Ranma around a few more corners, to get away from the recently recycled street trash. They finally came to a halt in a darker alley deep within the backstreets of Nerima. They had a more likely chance of running into more of the darker element of the town, but they both knew they could handle whatever came up. Even if someone had a gun, Ranma may not have been bulletproof, but Tenchi was effectively so. They sat down on some old boxes, facing one another. Ranma took in a few short breaths, as if preparing himself. Tenchi was simply rather curious as to what Ranma was going to say. "Tenchi," he sighed, "ever since that time in the bar earlier today I have not been able to get you out of my head." Tenchi was instantly elated. He would have bet everything he had that there was no chance of him being able to win Ranma. He was a guy after all... "But, Ranma... aren’t you a man?" Ranma winced, then he looked into Tenchi’s eyes. He right, Ranma thought, I am a man... but... He closed his own eyes and sighed. "I was born a man, that’s true. I came upon this curse, and that’s exactly what it was, a curse. I hated it with all my being. It effected me in more ways than I care to admit. I’ve never told anyone this before, but when I am in my female form, I have more... female thoughts. Dr. Tofu said I may experience problems due to the feminine hormones I would be producing, but I never thought it would be this serious. I never thought it would actually jeopardize my manhood entirely." His lids parted and he stared at Tenchi again, "I like you, as a friend. However, my body is telling me something different. I can’t help but feel... something more for you." Tenchi just sort of sat there for a moment, digesting what had just been said. "This makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it?" Ranma nodded, "Hell, I never used to be able to open up like this before." He took on a frightened look for a moment, "I’m changing... inside. I can feel it." "It worries you?" Ranma smirked, "It scares the shit out of me!" His face became a little more somber and whispered, "I’m not used to being this helpless." Tenchi felt such a need to hug Ranma that he almost burst. However, he knew even touching him at that moment could have caused him to leave. Tenchi found he really didn’t want Ranma to leave, ever. "Ranma, you are still who you are, even if your gender changes. The line between man and woman is purely physical. Any other differences can be chalked up to chemical and hormonal differences. You will still be Ranma, and you will still be a fighter, you will just consider yourself female." Ranma laughed, "For the past seventeen years I’ve been told that being a man is a unique honor. That it should be all that is important to me... that if I didn’t become that rarest of specimens I would be killed. Was it all a lie? Truly?" Tenchi nodded slowly, "I’m afraid so, Ranma. I can understand the feelings of your family, and can see where they are coming from. However, it is an age long past now, and we can’t get stuck in it. In the civilized world there are no borders or boundaries. Do what you want, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else." Ranma looked thoughtful, "If I became a full woman, plenty of people would be, and could be hurt." "It’s possible, but I’m sure they would get over it. They should be able to understand, and if not, they are not worthy of being your friends. You’ve got to think about yourself for a change, Ranma!" Ranma looked up at Tenchi, "Do you love me?" Tenchi was taken aback. He tried to figure out what possessed Ranma to ask that question at a time like this. He couldn’t work it out, so he just replied, "Huh?" Ranma brow furrowed and he leaned forward, almost to the point of entering Tenchi’s lap. He articulated his words very carefully, "Do You Love Me?" Tenchi looked at the serious blue eyes before him, deep inside them he could see a need. Unfortunately, he couldn’t place what the need was for. He figured he couldn’t lie to her though, "Yes, yes I do." "How? How can you love me after only meeting me once?" He shrugged, "Who knows? I’ve spent the last two years trying to figure out what love is, and I’ve come no closer to a definitive answer. All I know is, in my heart I care for you, I’ve never met anyone like you and most likely never will again. Let it be known that I will not give up on you. You may be a man, but I still love you." Ranma blinked, then he frowned, "Could you love me as a man? I mean, if I stayed a man?" Tenchi’s brow furrowed in thought. He grinned, "Wanna find out?" Ranma smacked Tenchi in the head, "Ecchi!" He threw his hands up in defense, "Hey! You suggested it!" They both laughed together, two friends who had more in common than either cared to admit. Two friends who had more feeling for one another than Ranma cared to admit. He stopped laughing suddenly and watched Tenchi. He was still snickering, his eyes closed and his face turning a light shade of red. Then, Ranma looked out into the alley, and unusual place for a date. He shook his head trying to remove that thought from it, but failed. He couldn’t fool himself anymore, after turning into a girl for over a year he just could not deny the fact that it effected him. His mind was being altered, changed by the chemical imbalances between his girl side and his boy side. It was an internal struggle for power that would most likely make a man of lesser will go insane. He sighed, getting Tenchi’s attention once more. "Ranma," Tenchi said seriously, "I am not going to force myself upon you. I would never do anything to hurt you. I want you to be happy, that’s all. No matter what it takes. Take all the time you need to think about what’s happened today. If you do decide you can love me in return, come to me. If not, then I won’t search you out." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, then handed it to Ranma. "My address," he stated simply, then rose to leave. Ranma felt like saying something, felt he should. He figured he had an obligation to tell Tenchi what he felt as soon as possible. He couldn’t decide in his own mind whether he loved the kind young man or not, but he knew he didn’t want him to be hurt at all. His mouth opened to say something, then shut almost as fast. He couldn’t think of anything to say, or wouldn’t. It still scared him the way he was changing, opening up where he never would have before, having feelings in a way he never could have thought possible before. He was raised to be a ‘man-among-men,’ and it seemed he was going to fail after all. Regardless of his feelings for Tenchi, he would never be the same. Perhaps his mother would slay him, make him take his own life with the blade. The cold steel would free him of his dishonor, wouldn’t it? He shook his head. No, killing oneself is never an answer, it was a barbaric ritual from long ago. It’s too akin to running away. He would never run away, because then he would become his father. The last thing he wanted to become was his father, the cause of his troubles. The reason for his curse. As he watched Tenchi turn the corner at the end of the alley he wondered if that was such a crime. END PART TWO This is shaping up I suppose. Never thought I would be doing a ‘Ranma-meets- boy’ type fic, but it seems it’s happened. Of course, I am extremely curious as to what everyone thinks of this story, and would highly appreciate comments and the like. Some of you may be asking, "Why Tenchi?" Well, I reply, "Why not? He gets the adoration of every other woman he meets, he’s just a nice guy." Anyway, send everything here and I will assess whether or not I should finish this or not. Thanks for reading, PMasters (3-25-98) PhilMasters@webtv.net