Mermaid Ukyo - tentative title

[Konsaki]

Ha! I thought about making that joke. Thought it was too obvious though. Hehe.

There's just something about big red buttons...

[Blackcat101]

My idea was that Ryoga meet Ranma when Ranma was like seven years old, and due to the tail and Ranma being cute (And his little kid voice), he though he was a young mermaid. And how it happened? Hey is Ryoga, he must have ended getting lost and going near the sea a lot. After all Japan is an island.

Would be kind of hard to have the Neko-ken considering you know underwater and no cats.

Catfish joke, and you said it, is a crack fic,

As to the Ranma-chan exclusion is the fact that there are mermaids and that they transform between human and mer form not enough transformation?

Since Ranma doesn't turn into female, and actually had lived most of his life as a mermaid, there isn't any conflict. Sure is a problem for Ukyo, but only for her. Honest, even if its not a curse, Ranma should get punished for turning a random human into a mermaid, what was a young kid doing with a dangerous potion like that anyway? Did he stole it from the sea witch?

Now, Kodachi as the sea witch... that could be fun... the role fits her so much is scary...

[LawOhki]

Genma thinking to use Cat fish would be kind of cute though. Problem is cat fish are kind of fresh water fish though, but still could do a bit with him trying to use a cat fistish method with cat fish to train Ranma. Results in total failure but still could be a cute bit.

Genma thinking, finally a training technique I can modify to use with underwater creatures! Except they just end up tickling him cause they really don't have teeth and he's halfway armored. Plus Ranma can talk to them and fish are really stupid. Now that is something that can work as a mention when he's finally brought in.

Ukyo would actually be the one with a cat issue, being that she's slowly turned into food for them over 10 years.

Since Ranma doesn't turn into female, and actually had lived most of his life as a mermaid, there isn't any conflict. Sure is a problem for Ukyo, but only for her. Honest, even if its not a curse, Ranma should get punished for turning a random human into a mermaid, what was a young kid doing with a dangerous potion like that anyway? Did he stole it from the sea witch?

Now, Kodachi as the sea witch... that could be fun... the role fits her so much is scary...

Being one gender doesn't remove all conflict and he's lived his entire life as a mer, his conflict comes from trying to live in the human world.

Why should Ranma get punished when he just gave Ukyo what she asked for? It just took longer than expected. (He got it from a nice sea witch after asking his mother how she changed Genma) Ukyo's conflict is going to be with all the psycho people she has to deal with upon Ranma returning, not on becoming a different species.

[LawOhki]

Partial second day flashback. Think I'll be playing around with how these two are framed, while the final one will be put right before the spell fully kicks in.

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The next day

Ukyo pressed her way through a thick tangle of small branches while carrying her father’s portable griddle in one arm, and a cooler in the other. Her father had not been happy to learn she had lost her’s to the ocean, but he had been more concerned that she had fallen in after it. So all had been forgiven with just a few crocodile tears.

Finally reaching the secluded lagoon where she had met Ranma the day before, Ukyo looked along the shore line, and found Ranma waiting a short distance from the surf. “Hi!” She yelled, stepping out on to the sand that instantly squeezed into her sandals, and underneath her toes. A cool breeze blew in from the sea to make her short dress covering her one piece swimsuit, flutter as she approached the mythological boy. Like Ranma had said, it was nice out; a few clouds high in the sky, and it was hot. The perfect weather to go swimming.

He waved to her from his spot sunning on the beach before turning back out towards the ocean. As Ukyo approached she started to hear that he was singing. She couldn’t make out any words, as he moved between notes, occasionally holding at specific ones. Ukyo was so entranced by his voice that she hardly noticed sitting down nearby to listen until he abruptly stopped.

“So pretty.” She gushed with wide eyes.

Ranma preened at the comment. “Did you bring your-- whatever thing?” He asked excitedly, eyes roaming over the items that she had brought with her.

“Uh huh.” She nodded and set up her griddle so that it could warm up while she prepared the ingredients. “I could only get a few fish though.”

“That’s alright.” He showed off a line that had been attached to his wrist and leading out into the surf. Ranma quickly pulled in a small net filled with a great variety of fish that closed into a tightly bound ball at he hauled it out of the water. “I brought some too.” He held up the beach ball sized mass of brightly colored sea life to stare at the fish hungrily before placing it between them.

“Oooh.” Her eyes widened as she took in all the small exotic fish that spilled out of the net to kick about the sand.

“I didn’t know what you liked so I got a bit of everything.” He shrugged, head moving quickly as he watch the flopping fish.

“I always wanted to try this one.” She grabbed one of the slippery fish by the tail with one hand and pulled out her cutting board with another. “But they’re always super expensive at the market.”

“Is that for the sushi?” He asked as she held the fish down on the cutting board.

“Yea lemme just clean it first.” She excitedly held up a fillet knife. “My father taught me how to do it.” Ukyo didn’t usually do this but she would show off her skill with a blade to her new mythical friend.

“I don’t understand.” His face scrunched up in confusion as she quickly lopped off the fishes head with her knife.

“And now I--.” She paused, noticing that he was edging away from her.

“I knew it! You’re going to try and eat me!” He pointed an accusing finger at her and dove towards the water, peddling his arms ineffectually in the loose sand.

“Huh? Wait!” She pushed her things to the side and ran after him. “I don’t want to eat you!”

“Liar! Eating me won’t make you immortal.” Ranma finally reached the surf and slowed briefly due to a moderate sized wave falling on him.

“But I don’t want to eat you!” She headed out into the water after him when he suddenly turned back towards her.

“Okay.” He laughed and kicked a huge spray of water in her face, bowling her over.

Letting out a childish screech, Ukyo fell backwards into the shin high water on her backside. “You jerk!” She slapped the water to send a small spray at him as he giggled madly. He responded with a much lighter kick of water. Smiling a little, she sent more water his way, and he splashed her back.

Ukyo was just clearing the latest round of water from her face when she squeaked in surprise when she found that Ranma had closed the distance to peer into her eyes with their noses nearly touching. “Let’s eat.” He suggested excitedly.

“Okay.” She nodded with a light blush, noticing the sound of seagulls cawing frantically. “Oh no!” She ran up the beach to scare the birds away from Ranma’s catch.

“Hey that was kind of neat.” He commented, finally dragging himself up to where he had originally been sitting.

“What was? Those stupid birds took most of your fish.” She shook a small fist angrily at a gutsy seagull still trying to steal a fish.

“You peddling your legs like that.” He answered, drawing his tail up underneath himself so he could sort of kneel. “And you!” He pointed at the seagull. “Those are mine!”

The bird just cocked it’s head to one side to point one eye at the boy before giving an angry call.

“My mother!?” Ranma yelled in shock. “You stupid pile of feathers, come over here and say that!” The seagull just gave another cry before flying away. “Grr I hate those things.” He frowned and cross his arms. “Rude little jerks.”

“Can you talk to them?” Ukyo asked, getting the feeling that the conversation had not been one sided.

“Of course.” He nodded and twisted around to fall into a sitting position. “You can’t?” Ranma looked a little distressed at the idea.

“No, oh that would be so cool.” She gushed, imagining what she could do if she had that ability.

“Cool is a good thing?” He asked and she nodded. “Not always, dolphins are kind of fun to talk to though. They know all the best spots to find food cause they’re gluttons.”

“I wish I could talk to dolphins.” She signed, dropping down next to hear cooking supplies.

“Really?” Ranma asked.

“Uh huh.” She nodded enthusiastically.

“Maybe you’ll be able to, my pop said he couldn’t before too.” He snagged one of the few remaining fish and brushed the sand off of it. “So what’s sushi?” Ranma asked and proceeded to swallow the fish whole.

“Ew!” She recoiled and gagged.

“What?” He blinked at her in confusion.

“You’re supposed to remove the guts first.”

“Why?”

“Cause it’s gross.”

“No it’s good.”

“Then I’ll show you better!” She boasted and grabbed one that she knew how to clean.

“But momma always said to not waste.” He watched carefully as she cleaned the fish. Removing the insides and even the scales.

“See, look how much better this is.” She started to slice the meat into tiny cuts so she could wrap them properly. Combining the strips with rice, nori, and a couple vegetables, she made a simple roll that she then cut into bite sized slices. “There!” She announced.

“Oooh, so this is human food.”

“Try some.” She suggested and Ranma took one to swallow in one big gulp like the fish. “No, no, you’re supposed to taste it, like this.” She took a bite and slowly chewed.

“Okay.” He mimicked her somewhat awkwardly. “Human food is weird.” He finally concluded making her develop a scowl. “In a good way.” He added at seeing her look. “I liked it a lot.”

“Have some more then!” She pushed the remaining food in his face. “I’ll make you some okonomiyaki now.”

[LawOhki]

Omake idea

Ukyo is being consistently the dominant party in her relationship with Ranma, so as some fish do, she changes into a man while Ranma becomes a female. This being normal in the omake, Ranma is perfectly alright with it, even boasting that this will really let her put her rival (Ariel's descendant) in her place. Up until she finds out that she looks just like Ariel herself. At which point Ranma hands Ukyo a knife and begs to be filleted slowly to end this nightmare.

[Noy Telinú]

I like it. Very few Ukyo fics with even fewer young Ukyo ones.

About that omake, I think it would be fun. ^_^ although in most fish changing sex due to dominance it's the other way around. But who cares.

[LawOhki]

Damn these flashbacks got huge. Will probably skip the third and just have what happened come up in dialogue. Was trying to throw in some hints for a few things as well as giving some hints that Ranma is interested in Ukyo as a bit more than a friend.

---------

“Have some more then!” She joined him in smiling happily, pushing the remaining food in his face. “I’ll make you some okonomiyaki now.” He nodded eagerly and devoured the remaining sushi.

Ukyo prepared the best okonomiyaki she could, noticing that Ranma swallowed another fish in the brief time it took for her to prepare it. Unfortunately when she served him the finished product he didn’t seem to like it nearly as much as the sushi. He ate every bite but didn’t ask for more.

“Is there something wrong with it?” She asked, voice quivering with emotion. Her technique had been perfect, using the best ingredients, and preparing it just as her father had taught her. Ukyo wanted to cry, her first and best chance to introduce the wonderful world of okonomiyaki to Ranma, and she had failed.

“Don’t be sad.” He slid across the sand to sit next to her, his tail brushing briefly against her bare legs. “I want my friend to be happy.” Ranma leaned into her and began to hum a strange tune.

Ukyo blushed heavily as she came into contact with the mermaid and that he wanted to make her happy. “Okay.” She nodded and looked away, resolving to try again later to get him to enjoy okonomiyaki, and noticing that he was warm to the touch.

“I like your colors.” He complimented without any lead up.

“Huh?” She blurted out in confusion.

“Your colors.” He picked at the fabric of the dress she was wearing over her swimsuit. “Humans always wear nice colors when they come to the beach.”

“Oh-- heh heh.” She felt her face heat up again and played with a small string decorating the neckline of her dress. “It’s just my swimsuit and I like to wear this dress over it when I’m not swimming. Are--.” Ukyo stopped talking and glanced at Ranma. “Do all mermaids have pretty tails like yours?”

“No.” Ranma smiled and kicked his tail upwards in a way that would have required his knees to be backwards if it was a costume. “Mine’s the best.” He boasted jokingly.

“Seriously?”

“Nah, we’re all different, all the colors of the coral.” His face dropped. “But you’ve probably never seen coral.”

“I have, it was on the tv, and there are pictures.” She pointed out. “But I wish I could see them myself.”

“I could take you.” He offered. “But you can’t swim.”

“I can swim.” She countered indignantly.

“Like yesterday?”

“It was a storm-- and I was tied up in my net!”

“But you’re a human, humans just kick their legs, and hope they don’t drown.”

“No we don’t.” She huffed, feeling like she should defend herself.

“Show me then.” He twisted around to start making his way awkwardly down the beach towards the water. “I’ll save you if you can’t again.” Ranma stuck his tongue out at her.

“I’ll show you!” She charged down the beach, eager to beat him but slid to a stop and ran back to her supplies, remembering that she had goggles and needed to take her dress off. Fixing her goggles over her eyes, she ran into the surface feeling giddy, and dove into a wave that was coming in at the same time. Surfacing to take a breath, she swam out farther to get past the waves that were throwing her around.

“Ranma?” She called out, noticing that the black haired mermaid was nowhere to be seen. Ducking her head under the water, she spun around, hoping to catch sight of him in the clear water. Surfacing to take a breath, she screamed when she found him bobbing at the surface next to her with a big smile on his face.

“Come on.” He turned and dove back under the water, tail kicking up a spray as it broke the surface.

Ukyo tried to keep up but with her head underwater she could make out Ranma easily putting distance between them with only a few light kicks. He flipped on his back to look back at her before with a powerful kick he swung around to come back towards her. Ukyo watched in awe as he seemed to fly through the water. As clumsy as he was crawling around on land, he was equally as elegant and graceful when in his element. He stopped suddenly a couple meters away and tried to speak to her through the water but she couldn’t understand.

Gasping for breath when she finally surfaced, Ukyo floated with Ranma waiting nearby patiently. “It’s like you’re flying.” She commented in amazement, shocked by how he moved.

He took a moment to think about her phrasing before holding out a hand. “Do you want to fly too?”

She nodded and eagerly grabbed his hand. Ranma gently pulled her under the water before with a few increasingly strong kicks they were shooting through the ocean. Dropping down to the bottom, Ranma skimmed along the sand, before turning to one side to make a spiral back upwards towards the surface. Her face hurt from smiling but Ukyo had to let go with one hand to try and fix her goggles as the force of the water nearly shoved them off her face. Spinning, turning, diving, surfacing all blurred into one long exciting rush of water in her ear drums before her grip went slack, having forgotten the need to breathe.

Ranma stopped immediately and they slowly floated to stop, the mermaid looking at her in concern before realizing the problem, and rushing her up to the surface. He held her there as she regained her senses. “Forgot.” He said apologetically and began to pull her back towards the beach.

“But you didn’t show me the coral.” She pouted weakly.

“When you learn how to swim.” He joked.

Ukyo smiled at that and held on tighter as he brought her back to shore. Stumbling with her first few steps through the wet sand, she regained her balance, and offered her hand to help pull him from the water. “Since you can’t walk.” She teased.

“I could walk if I wanted.” He crossed his arms and looked away from her, still sitting partially in the water.

Giggling at the absurd image of him walking around on his fins, she sat down close to him. “I wish I could swim like that all the time.” She gushed, bending her knees up to prop her face up with her hands.

“You do?” He asked.

Ukyo nodded before a small wave gently rose up around her and then receded. “Being a mermaid must be so great.”

“I bet you’d be real pretty if you were a mermaid.”

“Really?” She asked hopefully before her face erupted in a gigantic blush and she turned away from him. “Don’t say things like that!” She hid her face with her hands in embarrassment. Slowly peaking one eye out from between her fingers she looked at him suspiciously. “Unless you really mean it.”

“I do.” Ranma nodded enthusiastically and leaned in closer.

“Don’t be a jerk.” She shoved him away angrily. “It’s not like something like that could ever happen.” Ukyo stomped up the beach, upset over his teasing.

“Are you leaving?” Ranma called to her.

“Yes.” She answered.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” He asked. “I promise to have something special for you.”

“Are you going to tease me again?” Ukyo crossed her arms irritably.

“I won’t.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Same time?”

“Sure.”

[Noy Telinú]

Tiny cute Ukyo! >_<

So how much longer was it before?

[LawOhki]

Tiny cute Ukyo! >_<

So how much longer was it before?

I was trying to crank up the dawww factor a bit but I'm not really good at writing things that'll give people cavities.

I didn't cut down this one, but the third flashback which was going to show Ranma giving her the potion and them agreeing to get married. (Mostly by implication) I think it'll work just fine to have it get mentioned with dialogue between them as Ukyo rejects Ranma's attempts to explain his absence. That'll also help to move the chapter along and show Ukyo's anger better than just a summary.

[LawOhki]

Ten years later

Being careful not to slip on the slick rocks, Kuonji Ukyo warily made her way along the shore. Every so often she felt an urge to visit this place again. Dressed in a green tank top, jean shorts, and athletic sandals, she had small strap of cooking utensils strapped across her chest. On the right day with the right sea conditions it was a really beautiful spot but for the most part it was just waves crashing endlessly against rocks that would tear her to ribbons if she was in the water. Today it was mild, the water gently breaking and creating tiny sprays.

Even after everything that had happened, she still loved the sea, and paused to enjoy the gentle mist that fell over her position on the shore. Her brief dreamlike period of being around Ranma had led to a lot of problems in her life. No one ever believed her when she said that she had met a mermaid. Her insistence that it was true had made her into a social pariah that stuck with her to this day.

Finding a dry spot to sit down and spread out her lunch supplies, she was eager to finish her ritual and leave. It’s not like anyone else would ever want to come out here but occasionally she thought she saw a flash of red out in the water. It was just a foolish hope though. Unpacking her portable griddle so it could warm up, she waited to cook herself a small okonomiyaki.

“Ukyo!” A melodious male voice greeted happily and she looked back down the shore to see if someone had followed her. “You came!” The same voice excitedly called out from a direction opposite the shore.

Ukyo slowly turned her head to see the head and shoulders of a black haired boy bobbing up and down casually in the surf. “No--no, he can’t be real.” She rubbed desperately at her eyes and looked again to see that he wasn’t going away. “This can’t be happening.” She repeated, forgetting her cooking supplies to rush down the rocks away from the boy. “No more doctors, nuh uh, no way.”

“Ukyo wait up!” He yelled after her.

“Go away!” She shouted back, refusing to turn back and acknowledge his existence.

“I have something important to tell you!”

“Don’t care!” Ukyo nearly slipped on a rock but caught herself.

“But!”

“Leave me alone!” She finally looked out at him and shouted, feet slipping out from under her, and sending her crashing head first into a sharp stone.

Ukyo didn’t know how long she had been out but when she came to, her clothes were soaking wet, and she was laying on the beach. She had a pounding headache and when she reached up to feel where she had struck the rock, she pulled back with a pained wince.

“It’s dangerous to bleed in water.” Ranma explained in a warm and friendly tone from her side.

Slowly turning a baleful look to the merman next to her, she purposely ignored that from the waist up he had grown up into a very attractive young man. It didn’t matter that his form was nicely muscled from a lifetime of swimming. Or that his formerly too large eyes now fit his handsome face so perfectly.

“I’m so happy to finally see you again.” He gazed at her in concern, bringing up one of his hands to brush her damp bangs to the side tenderly. “I was almost too late.”

Ukyo hesitated in slapping his hand away, feeling as well as hearing the concern in his voice. “You left me.” She stated without much conviction, feeling like she could get lost in his gorgeous blue eyes forever. “You left me.” She repeated with a snarl, overcoming the shock of seeing him again.

“I’m--.” He started to say until she punched him in the jaw.

“You jackass!” She shouted and scrambled up to her feet.

“But Ukyo--.” Ranma tried to protest before she kicked sand in his face. “But--.” She sent another load of sand directly into his mouth.

“I hate you!” She yelled at the sputtering supernatural boy and stormed up the beach.

Charging through the trees on her way to the road, Ukyo roughly snapped any branch that dared get in her way. “I’m done with this, I’ll never come back to this place again. Because I never want to see him again!” Bursting through the tree line and onto a small road, she angrily brushed the leaves and twigs out of her hair.

“Okay-- okay, I just need to calm down.” She took several rapid deep breaths and began to recite a litany her last therapist had suggested. “There is no such thing as mermaids. I have never met anyone with a fish tail. He lied when he said I could become a mermaid and that we would be together forever. The boy I met was playing a cruel joke and I did not deserve that.”

“Damn sand.” She muttered and dug between her foot and sandal to dislodge some of the itchy substance.

Truthfully she was starting to feel a bit out of sorts, like she was coming down from a surge of adrenaline in reverse. Passing it off as just a reaction to coming face to face with Ranma again, she was scratching her way up her legs, and resolving to buy more moisturizer when she noticed the time on her watch. To her horror she found that she barely had fifteen minutes before her shop had to open.