Hello all,

This is version four of Nekophobia Part 7, "Photographic Memory".

Hopefully the problems with the finishing part have been fixed, and
I can now get on with re-writing Part 8.

At the moment I'm hoping to get part 8 finished comparatively
quickly (though that doesn't mean very much at the moment, given
how long it's taken me to produce parts lately).

As always, C&C is definitely invited.  Enjoy!

===================================

Nekophobia Part 7:  Photographic Memory

by David Eddy <dje@progress.com>


Last modified:  Friday, 31 October 1997


A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma
1/2.

The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the property of Takahashi Rumiko
and her licensees.



Note:  In the Nekophobia side story, which is set immediately
following the end of Nekophobia part 6, Nabiki fantasised with
some passion about what might have happened between Ranma and
Akane, alone in his room.  She visualised herself spying on the
two of them, then being caught peeping by them.





     Akane awoke with the sun, snuggled against something warm
and welcoming.  She felt relaxed and at peace with the world,
reluctant to move from her supremely comfortable bed.

     But something felt odd.  Her arm was draped over something
warm, and the pillow on which her head lay was firmer than usual,
though warm and comfortable.

     Draped over something warm.  Something that moved slowly
beneath her arm, even as her ear picked up the sound of deep,
even breathing...

     She opened her eyes to find herself staring at a firmly-
muscled chest.  Horror gripped her as her breath caught in
surprise, until suddenly the events of last night came flooding
back and she relaxed again, snuggling up to Ranma.

     Not wanting to move and possibly disturb him, she lay still
and moving only here eyes looked around.  The drank in the firm
line of his jaw and the way his nostrils flared slightly during
his deep, slow exhalation.  The golden-orange light of sunrise
peeked into the room, lighting one wall and flooding the room
with its reflection.  The beautiful light made copper highlights
appear in Ranma's normally black hair, an echo of the fiery hair
he wore in his female body, and she found herself studying the
features of his face in repose.  She noted the line of his nose,
the shape of his lips, even the way his eyelashes curved, not
quite resting against his skin.  She saw his eyes moving around
inside his closed eyelids, the bulge of the cornea moving the
closed eyelids about as it shifted from point to point, and
wondered if he was dreaming, and if so, what he was dreaming
about.

     She noted the slight smile on his lips, and hoped that he
was dreaming about her.



     Kasumi woke and as was her habit, pulled aside the curtain
to peek outside.  The day was just beginning, the morning display
glorious, and it was time for her to be starting her day as well.
Watching the birds flit about outside, good feeling filled her.

     She had dreamed of her mother, and had seen her blessing the
union of Ranma and her youngest daughter in a scene not unlike a
Christian frieze:  Kimiko, her mother, had been standing above
the pair who knelt before each other, and she had been holding
out her arms to encompass the two, her head tilted to one side.
She wondered briefly what had caused her to dream such a scene,
but then put it into a compartment to think about later, a mental
trick she had practiced until it was now second nature.  For now,
she needed to get breakfast ready for the ever-hungry family.

     Dressed and ready to face the demands of the day, Kasumi
quietly slipped out of her room.  As she walked towards the
stairs, she noted that Akane's bedroom door was open.  Curious at
this unexpected event, she glanced inside and noted that her bed
was rumpled and empty.

     'Is Akane up already?' she asked herself as she headed
towards the kitchen.  'I wonder why?'

     As she padded quietly past the guest room, Akane slipped out
the door and closed it behind her.  She was wearing her night
clothes, Kasumi noted with interest.  She smiled her best smile
and greeted her sister.

     "Good morning, Akane," she said in a quiet but lilting
voice.

     Akane spun, shifting automatically into a defensive stance
at Kasumi's voice.  Seeing that it was her sister, she relaxed
again.

     "Kasumi-oneechan!  You surprised me!"

     "It's a lovely morning, isn't it?"

     "I... I..."  Then her uncertain expression cleared and her
brilliant smile was like the sun coming from behind clouds.  She
said happily, "Yes, it's an absolutely *wonderful* morning!"

     Kasumi noted Akane's sleep wear and a disturbing thought
came to her.  Unconsciously, she allowed her smile to relax,
seeming to frown a little by contrast.  "Akane... please excuse
me for asking but did you spend the night with Ranma?"

     Akane was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.  "Hai.
Ranma had a nightmare and woke me when he called out in his
sleep.  He woke in a sweat, oneechan, and he seemed frightened,
though he'd never admit it.  I asked him to hold me.  I hoped
that it would comfort him."

     "Ara... you shouldn't do that, Akane.  You're not married
yet."  Her voice was a little scolding.

     "But he... but... hai, oneechan."  She bent her head in
submission.

     Kasumi nodded, smiling hesitantly.  At the back of her mind
she wondered if the two of them had in fact taken the next step
in their relationship, but then dismissed the thought:  Akane was
not used to fooling people, and she would be blushing if she had
Done It with Ranma.  She allowed her smile to gain strength.
"So.  Is he still asleep?"

     Akane looked up and nodded, smiling again.  "Yes.  I didn't
want to wake him."  She looked at her sister's clothes, and added
her dress to the fact that she had passed the guest room, and
came to a conclusion.  "Are you going to get breakfast ready,
oneechan?"

     "Why, yes," she said with a nod.

     "Can I do it?  Please?  Would you show me some more dishes?"

     Kasumi hesitated for a moment, but then remembered the
cookies that Akane had cooked under her directions the other day,
and her breakfast the following morning.  Reassured, she smiled
again.  "Of course you can, Akane.  I'd love to."  She moved to
head towards the kitchen, then turned back.  "Did you want to
make something special for Ranma, perhaps?"

     Akane blushed and nodded.  "Please?"

     Kasumi laughed lightly.  "Come on, get dressed and let's see
what we can do."



     *    *    *



     Cologne watched the rising sun, thinking deeply.  What could
she do about her wayward great granddaughter?  Ever since Ranma
had rejected her in such unambiguous terms, the girl had become
more and more difficult to control.

     Could it be that their cause was lost?  She immediately
discarded the thought as unworthy of her.  No mere male could
flout the Joketsuzoku for long!  But hadn't this male done so for
over a year?  And wasn't she having to use... undesirable methods
on her great grand-daughter to persuade her to continue?

     If necessary, of course, she could take the boy herself.
Nothing could be simpler, and they would be in China and beyond
easy pursuit before the Tendou family knew what had happened.

     But to do so would not be honourable, nor would it
accomplish anything.  *She* had no need for a husband; not now,
not having already borne children for the tribe.  What was more,
it was not *her* task to bring the boy back to the tribe to
increase the strength of the tribe... it was Shampoo's... and if
she could not do it, then it was not Cologne's place, or that of
any other of the Joketsuzoku, to do so in her place.  To do so
would be to dishonour her great-granddaughter.

     Cologne sighed.  By her own logic, her use of Amazon mind-
control techniques on Shampoo over the last few days was hardly
honourable.  She frowned.  How had she allowed herself to get
trapped into taking an active part in Shampoo's struggle?  To let
her own feelings to take control of her actions... this was not
good.

     Perhaps it was indeed all futile.  If they did get Ranma to
China and it was not of his own free will, then it could easily
be that the boy would be able to break free and return to Japan,
possibly destroying the Joketsuzoku in the process.  Memories of
her battle with him a few days ago flashed before her eyes, and
she analyzed again what had happened....

     What had happened... was that she had lost.  Lost.  She, a
Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku, one of the leaders of the tribe,
had been defeated, by a mere male.  A male that a scant year ago
she had defeated as easily as she would a child.

     Fortunately she had already been married and borne children,
so *those* laws no longer applied to her.

     But how he had grown in such a short time!  Yes, he had been
continuously challenged, and challenge led to growth, but if he
was dragged back to China against his will, would that not also
challenge him?

     How long would his captivity last then, if already he could
defeat one of the tribe's best, after defeating the best of the
younger tribespeople almost in passing?

     So Ranma could not be forced.  He must come of his own free
will, and he must be convinced by her great grand-daughter.  Not
by herself, not by any other member of the tribe.  By Shampoo.

     But Shampoo was no longer interested in convincing Ranma to
join her in China, and was having to be forced to continue the
pursuit.  She had given up.  Fortunately there was no problem
with her forcing the girl... within limits, she reminded herself
darkly... but Shampoo, like all children, lacked subtlety, and
had failed to capture her prey and showed no sign of being able
to do so in the future.

     It would be easy to admit that the girl seemed incapable,
but to return without her husband, *and* without killing she who
had defeated her so publicly, so casually, would so stain her
that she could never become a Matriarch, never take her rightful
place in the hierarchy of the tribe.  It was fortunate that the
tribe had not discovered her earlier return, but this time her
failure would be impossible to conceal.

     But after such a long time, soon the girl's failure must
begin to reflect on her mentor... Cologne herself.  That could
never be allowed; her position would be weakened within the
tribe.  So she must soon return to China, and if Shampoo failed
again she must be left on her own in this land of barbarian
Japanese, to cope as best she could, possibly to eventually
return... or not.  But never, perhaps, to take up the position
she had seemed so eminently suited to from such an early age.

     That would be unfortunate, for Shampoo was indeed one of the
more promising younger members in the tribe, in addition to being
of her own blood.

     A little longer.  She would give the girl a little longer.

     But no matter how hard she tried, Shampoo was unlikely to
win Ranma as long as that girl Akane was on the scene.  To simply
kill the girl would drive Ranma further away, but there were
other ways of driving him from her.  She had already started down
that path, but so far it had not worked.

     Cologne frowned.  Several simple plans occurred to her which
she discarded immediately as futile or amateurish, but there was
a true plan, a good plan, lurking at the edge of her
consciousness.  But it refused to come forth and reveal itself.

     And then the workers began to arrive, to put the finishing
touches on the newly-reconstructed Nekohanten.  Cologne silently
pushed the plan to the back of her mind, where it would develop
in its own time.  If there was one thing she had learned in a
lifetime of three hundred years, that was patience.



     *    *    *



     Ranma woke feeling comfortable and relaxed.  For a change,
oyaji wasn't dragging him out of bed for training, and he reveled
in being able to awake at his own pace.

     But something was missing.  Something warm and comforting.
He looked around.

     The futon next to him bore the imprint of a body, and he
could smell something lingering in the air... Akane.  He smiled
as he recalled Akane asking to be held, lying down with her head
on his shoulder and an arm thrown across his chest, the feeling
banishing the echoes of the nightmare that had awoken him... and
then a slow, gentle awakening.

     Life was good.

     Stretching, he rose and dressed in light clothing to suit
the season.  He decided to work out before the heat came, and
stepped out of his room with a light heart.

     Nabiki's door opened as he stepped out into the hallway.
"Good morning, Ranma," she said with a rakish smile.  "Did you
sleep well?"

     Her voice was heavy with implication, and Ranma found
himself blushing.  Automatically he began to play with the root
of his braid and looked at the floor, unable to meet her eyes.

     "Yes," he said brusquely, hoping to cover his embarrassment.

     Nabiki grinned, unable to resist needling Ranma even though
she loved him like a... brother.  Or something.  She poked him in
the chest.

     "Feeling photogenic, I hope?"

     Ranma frowned, then shrugged.

     "Well, don't forget we leave at ten.  We've got a train to
catch... and if you do some training this morning, I want you to
bathe afterward, okay?"  She emphasised her point with a pointed
finger.

     Her tone of voice baited Ranma, and his voice reflected his
disturbance.  "I'm not a baby, Nabiki!"

     Nabiki just grinned and stepped past him to head downstairs.

     Ranma watched her go, then frowned to himself.  He felt
anger stirring within himself.  He had no trouble controlling it,
but he must be calm and under control at all times in a real
fight or he would be in trouble.  Why was this happening to him?

     Automatically he went down the stairs, heading for his
favorite rock by the pond, the one he used for meditation.  He
had some thinking to do.





     Tempting aromas wafted from the kitchen, causing Ranma's
stomach to rumble in anticipation.  His mother had wandered down
a few minutes earlier, followed shortly thereafter by Nabiki.
Kasumi would be in the kitchen, cooking breakfast, so where was
Akane?

     Nodoka interrupted his speculations.  "Good morning, Ranma,"
she said with a smile.  "I'm glad to see that you rise at a
proper hour, unlike a certain husband of mine.  Did you sleep
well?"

     Ranma smiled at the memory of falling asleep with Akane's
arm draped across his chest, her head on his shoulder, the scent
of her hair filling his nostrils.  "Yes, very well," he said
pleasantly.

     Nodoka smiled and nodded as she sat down, while Nabiki
stared at Ranma in shock.  Ranma?  Pleasant?  In the morning?

     Soun entered, and took his usual place at the table.  Then
Akane entered from the kitchen, carrying a tray, followed by
Kasumi.  They knelt and laid out the food, then took their own
places at the table.

     Akane took up one dish that... lacked the usual flair with
which Kasumi cooked, but otherwise seemed okay.  She offered it
to Ranma.

     "Here, Ranma, I made this for you specially."  She smiled
winningly.

     Ranma felt trapped, like a hunted animal.  Clearly Akane had
had something to do with the cooking, but how could he refuse
with his mother watching?  She would call him unmanly, and even
though the pledge had been formally fulfilled, he could not face
the prospect of disappointing his mother.  So it was with a
feeling of dread that he reached out with his chopsticks and
selected a piece of the rather untidy but nonetheless pleasant-
looking fish.

     Nabiki looked on with a mixture of pity and apprehension as
Ranma went through the motions of sampling Akane's cooking.
While he had said last time that her cooking was okay, Nabiki
wondered whether it had been a flash in the pan, so to speak.

     It was an exercise in control, Ranma told himself, holding
his expression neutral as he brought the food closer to his face.
He sniffed gently, and was amazed to discover that it actually
smelled good.

     He looked up and met Akane's eyes.  Perhaps without knowing
it, her expression was open and vulnerable, waiting for his
verdict.  The fish smelled okay, it looked okay... now for the
ultimate test.  Inside he steeled himself, even as he smiled at
her and nodded.  "Itadakimas'!" he said and popped the morsel
into his mouth.

     Ranma's eyes opened wide involuntarily, the whites showing
all around, and an odd sound came from his throat.  Akane quickly
put down the bowl, almost dropping it, and leaned forward
worriedly.  "Ranma!  What's wrong?!"

     Nabiki spoke sardonically.  "You probably poisoned him
again, Akane."

     Nodoka stepped in.  "Nabiki, is it necessary to be so mean
to your sister?"

     Akane looked at the bowl she had been holding, crestfallen.
"But I tasted it..."

     Ranma finally swallowed, then spoke.  "Delicious!" he
uttered.  He shook his head in amazement.  "Unbelievable.  It
actually tastes nice."

     Kasumi smiled.  "Oh Ranma-kun, you're such a joker," she
said with a small giggle.  "You ate Akane's cooking the other day
and said you liked it.  She's learning to cook from me now.
Didn't she do a great job?"

     Ranma didn't miss the undertone in Kasumi's voice.  Quickly
he nodded.  "H-hai!"

     "It looks very nice, Akane-chan," said Nodoka.  "Ittada-
kkimas!" she added with a motherly smile and a glint in her eyes
as she lifted her rice bowl.



     *    *    *



     After breakfast, Ranma had gone outside and stripped off his
top and started his daily workout.  Akane had seen him and raced
upstairs to change into her gi.  She then went outside, and,
reluctant to interrupt him, watched him work out.

     Ranma looked up from where he sat on the ground doing
flexibility exercises.  "What's up, Akane?  Wanna work out?"

     Akane smiled.  "Yes."

     He returned her smile.  "Well come on, get going then."  A
thought occurred to him.  "Have you been waiting for me?"

     She nodded.

     He snorted.  "Don't bother, Akane.  Just join in, in
future."  He smiled shyly again.  "It's kinda nice to have
someone to practice with who ain't oyaji, anyway."  Then his
smile changed into a grin.  "'Sides, you need as much practice as
you can get.  We've gotta get your speed up."

     Akane glared at him but declined to push it.  Instead she
began her stretching exercises.





     Nodoka and Kasumi sipped tea sitting at the table, looking
out through the open shoji and outer shutters at the scene
unfolding in the back yard.  The rustle of Soun's newspaper
punctuated their conversation at odd moments.

     "Isn't it delightful to see them getting on so well
together, obasama?" asked Kasumi.

     Outside, Ranma, wearing only his black trousers, and Akane,
wearing her gi pants and a sleeveless tee-shirt (together with,
Nodoka was glad to note, a bra) were doing katas together in the
yard.  Nabiki was fluttering about them with her camera.

     As Nodoka watched, Ranma stopped his kata and said something
to Nabiki.  The Tendou girl just laughed, said something as she
gestured with her camera, and took a few more pictures.

     Ranma just shook his head and went back to his training,
studiously ignoring the second Tendou daughter, concentrating
instead on Akane.

     "They seem to be getting along well enough, I suppose," said
Nodoka at last.  "Is this unusual?"

     "The last few days have been unusual, obasama.  Ever since
the day before I suggested that you visit us."

     Nodoka looked at Kasumi in surprise.  "So *that's* why..."
She sighed.  "I only regret that it took so long."

     "Some things have to happen in their own time, obasama."

     The newspaper rustled as Soun turned a page.



     *    *    *



     The stranger's white hardhat sat on his head as though it
belonged there, matching unexpectedly with his crisply-ironed but
well-worn and comfortable white shirt and sturdy but presentable
pants.  Only his tie looked out of place, new and nubbly, one of
those elasticized polyester monstrosities sold for machinery
operators and those too lazy or incompetent to tie their own
knot.  It waved about as he moved his head, signaling like a flag
and drawing the eye.

     This was well enough; the man appeared to be just another
supervisory staff member of the building company Cologne had
hired to reconstruct the Nekohanten.  But she was frowning, both
because she had never seen him before... and because of the way
he had peremptorily gone up to one of the men, stopped his work.
Now all of the builders were standing around watching nervously
as the new man closely examined parts of the building with the
aid of a few small tools he had pulled from a pocket.  Every now
and again he would make a notation in the metal clipboard that
lived in one armpit, seemingly staying there solely through the
personal magnetism of this otherwise undistinguished and drab
man.

     All was not as it seemed.  Cologne decided to investigate.
She bounced over on her stick.

     "Excuse me, but who are you and what are you doing here?"
she asked the man with barely sufficient politeness.  "And why
have you stopped these men from doing their work?"

     To her amazement, he did not leap back and bow at her as he
should have done.  Instead, he merely finished his measurement
and made a final notation, the only outward sign that he had
heard her a twitch in his shoulders.  Then the man turned to her,
his eyes cold.

     "My name is Hayashi," he said.  "Building Inspector, first
rank, for the City of Nerima.  And you are?"

     He did not bow.  Cologne's expression hardened.  "My name is
Cologne.  I own the Nekohanten."

     Hayashi smiled thinly.  "Good.  You will understand that I
have a job to do, and I would appreciate not being interrupted.
You are of course entitled to a copy of my report when I am
finished."  With that he turned away from Cologne, returning to
his work.

     Indignant anger boiled up within Cologne at the presumption
and rudeness of this man, but sternly she held it in check.
Instead of cracking the insolent puppy over the head and ejecting
him bodily, she bounced away and returned to her observation
point in the kitchen doorway.  China had five thousand years of
bureaucracy in its history, in fact her country had invented the
practice, and Cologne had enough experience with the type to
recognize a petty tyrant when she saw one.



     Hayashi allowed himself a millimetric smile as he continued
his work.  He had seen too many of these rush construction jobs
to not know that there must be a problem, somewhere.  He would
find it.  He was a diligent worker.

     And when he found the problem or, more likely, problems,
work would have to cease until they were corrected.  Which would
mean a delay, and probably expensive and lengthy double-work
spent pulling things apart before they could be put back
together... so sorry, it cannot be helped, the building codes are
there for your own protection and for the protection of others.

     The fact that someone had paid him to be especially zealous
with this property, and had asked him to inspect as soon as
possible... well, that was merely an added bonus, in a job which
had few enough of those.



     *    *    *



     "Come *on*, Ranma; we're going to be late!" shouted Nabiki
at the closed bathroom door.

     "Okay, okay, I'll be right out," came Ranma's male voice.
"Anyway, what's the big rush?  So what if we're ten minutes
late?"

     Then the doorway slid aside, and he stepped out, brushing
past Nabiki.

     She grimaced.  "Time is money, little brother," she said
acidly.

     "Okay, okay," he said.  Then he frowned.  "Say, what's with
the bag?" he asked as he followed her into the front part of the
house.

     Nabiki smiled craftily, her anger forgotten.  "Just some
stuff we'll need."

     Ranma gave her a fishy look but declined to press the matter
further.





     The train was quiet; by some odd coincidence there were
comparatively few people travelling on the train with the three
teenagers.  Nabiki led the way, sitting down in a section at the
rear of the carriage where two seats faced one another.  Akane
sat next to her, and Ranma was forced to sit opposite the two
girls.

     The three did not talk at first.  Akane stared out the
window, while Ranma brooded, worrying about the upcoming session.
Images flashed through his mind.  Images from when he'd looked at
himself in the mirror this morning, mostly, both as a guy and as
a girl.  Poses from some of Nabiki's magazines that she'd left
lying about... he couldn't help but visualise himself in their
place, modeling swimsuits while lying enticingly in a pool of
water, smiling at the camera.

     Ugh.  But a chance thought led him onwards, bringing to mind
the pages of a hentai magazine one of the guys had smuggled into
school once.  The separated pages of the magazine had been
whisperingly distributed at lunchtime, and Ranma could not help
but visualise his female form in those same poses, wondering what
it felt like, simultaneously attracted and revolted by the
thought.

     At last he firmly pushed all such speculation from his mind,
turning instead to consideration of the renewed enigma that was
Nabiki.  He did not understand her behaviour at all... for a long
time he thought he had had her pegged, but recently her behaviour
had changed, and it baffled him.  She now called him her little
brother, and she did indeed seem closer than usual, but....  When
he looked over at her in thought, he saw that her gaze was
hooded, her expression neutral.  He wondered what she was
thinking about.

     Nabiki spent most of the early part of the trip staring at
Ranma, wondering if he could possibly be capable of what she had
fantasised about last night.  She traced the lines of his body
with her eyes, covertly, pretending to be thinking.  Which she
was, of course.

     She felt his gaze, and a plan occurred to her.  In a flash
of daring she decided to implement it... only Ranma would be able
to see, anyway, even if she did show something.

     With a sigh, Nabiki lifted one foot onto the seat, wrapping
her arms around the leg and resting her chin on her upraised
knee.  Staring out the window, she watched Ranma out of the
corner of her eye to catch any reaction.

     Ranma's eyes automatically followed the motion as Nabiki
folded her leg and looked out the window in a thoughtful pose,
but his breath caught and he was hard pressed not to stare when
he noticed that the leg of her pressed khaki shorts was gaping,
and he could clearly see the snowy white material of her panties
stretched tightly across...

     Sternly he forced himself to switch his gaze to Akane.  He
was on safer ground here.  She noticed his attention after a bit,
and returned his regard.  Then, with a smile, she got up and
moved to sit next to Ranma, leaning against him in as open a
display of affection as she dared in public.

     Nabiki watched this little play unfold, changing her
position again as her sister went to sit next to her fiancee.
She had noticed Ranma's eyes, and the sudden and fixed movement
of his gaze to her sister... and the small beads of sweat that
had popped into being on his face.  He looked relieved now that
she had lowered her leg, cutting off the view.  Nabiki smirked to
herself.

     Maybe fantasies could sometimes came true, she told herself
as Akane began to chat with Ranma.



     *    *    *



     The entrance to the photographer's studio was a doorway at
street level which led immediately to stairway.  Nabiki led the
way as they walked up the stairs.

     Ranma felt a little nervous as he walked up the stairs
behind Nabiki.  He wondered again what this photo session would
hold... and what was in the bag that swung in front of his face,
dangling from Nabiki's hand.  He tried to ignore the panty lines
that showed through the light material of her shorts almost
literally in front of his nose as she climbed the stairs,
recalling that moment on the train.  That flash of memory
returned images from that lunchtime magazine to his head, making
him even more uncomfortable.

     Behind Ranma, Akane watched sweat form on his neck and
reflected on how nervous he must be feeling.  She knew what her
sister had in that bag, and she thought to herself with a small
smile that if he knew what was in there, he would be much *more*
nervous.



     Upstairs, three people waited in a small, brightly-decorated
reception area.

     "Hi, I'm Hikaru," said the cameraman.  He was tall and slim,
his hair tied back in a trendy pony-tail.  He wore a tank top and
paratrooper's trousers, and had a sparse beard.  Gesturing to the
two other people waiting, he added, "This is my assistant, Jiro-
kun, and Tomoko-chan here is a makeup artist."

     "I'm Tendou Nabiki, and this is my sister Akane who's come
along for moral support.  This is her fiancee, Ranma."  She
raised an eyebrow at Tomoko the makeup artist, who had been
staring hungrily at Ranma.  Tomoko started guiltily, looking at
Nabiki with a light flush on her face.

     'Huh, no wonder Akane gets jealous,' she mused to herself as
Hikaru led the way into the main studio.  She watched Ranma's
oblivious expression as he seated himself and nervously allowed
Tomoko to go to work on him.  'And my stupid brother-in-law
doesn't have a clue.'  She shook her head at the irony of the
situation, always fresh no matter how many times it was repeated.

     "Excuse me, Tendou-san?"

     Nabiki broke off her musing and looked at the source of the
voice.  It was Hikaru, the photographer.  "Yes?"

     "I thought there was going to be a girl who would pose, too?
I gather that it's not your sister?"

     Nabiki smiled.  "Ah, yes.  No, it's not Akane.  The girl...
she'll be along a little later."

     "Oh.  Pity.  Well, we'll start with Ranma-kun here and do
her later."

     "That would be a good idea."

     "We've got a few minutes before Tomoko finishes with Ranma-
kun, so let's review the kind of shots you want, shall we?"





     Ranma stood in the centre of the studio, dressed only in his
black silk pants, in a modified crane stance.  The lights
flashed, and Hikaru stood up straight.  "That's great, Ranma-kun.
Now, just one last pose.  If you would stand like this," he said
as he demonstrated, standing with his feet shoulder-width apart
and hands spread and reaching for the sky, back arched and
looking straight up, "I think we'll be pretty close."

     Obediently Ranma stood as instructed.  Hikaru looked through
the viewfinder, then shook his head.  "Get into it, Ranma!
You're beseeching the gods!  Think of something you want and
*ask* for it!"

     Immediately Ranma thought of his curse.  After much yelling
by the photographer and badgering by Nabiki he'd gotten used to
following the photographer's directions, and he didn't feel
awkward at all as he bent his knees a little and *reached* for
the sky, his eyes closing and hands half-clawing automatically as
he begged to be released from the curse.

     Akane, sitting on the floor only a few feet from her
fiancee, watched in amazement as the appeal that Ranma suddenly
projected hit her, the raw emotion and longing pouring from him
as all his muscles tensed in an appeal to the kami.  She knew
what he would be asking for, and tears formed in reaction even as
she heard Hikaru breathe, "<Wow>."  The flashes went off several
times in rapid succession.  Then:

     "Assistant!  Go!"

     Then the world began moving jerkily as the camera began to
whine and the flashes went off again, and again, and again,
and...

     Ranma's plea to the gods disappeared as he heard the
unmistakable sound of falling water.  Opening his eyes, he had
time for a moment of utter horror and exquisite betrayal, the
falling water twisted into static yet hungry blobs by the sudden
light of the flash, before abrupt coldness and then the sensation
of the change galvanised him into motion.

     Quickly, it all happened so quickly.  Nabiki felt frozen in
her body as water fell from above Ranma, cascading down, caught
in stop-motion as it splashed off his face, then the spray was
obscuring him, then Ranma was female, her breasts bouncing freely
as she moved though the continuous flashes eyes aflame as she
surged towards the photographer and suddenly Nabiki felt cold as
the import of Ranma's expression hit her cold cold cold

     "Ranma!  Stop!"

     The command cracked like a whip, freezing Ranma only three
feet from the stunned Hikaru.  She wondered for a moment who had
spoken before realising that it had been herself.

     "Tears of Buddha..." breathed Hikaru as time started again,
camera dangling from nerveless fingers.  "What the...?!"

     And then life flowed back into Ranma's eyes, the fire gone
as though it was never there, and she crossed her arms over her
bare breasts and looked away.

     Straight at the cute little white cat with black socks,
ears, and tail that was even now picking itself out of Akane's
wet clothes.

     "Aaaagh! C-c-c-c-caaat!"  Ranma's eyes were round and she
shuddered violently as she backed away involuntarily before
shaking her head and standing her ground.  "No," she said under
her breath.  "Aka-Akane.  It's Akane."

     There was stunned silence in the studio as Ranma-onna
shakily stepped forward, jaw clenched, and knelt down before the
cute little cat.  Akane-neko gave a small, somehow satisfied meow
and slowly stepped into Ranma's outstretched hands.  Shakily she
drew her hands close to her body, holding Akane against her
chest, and slowly the strain flowed out of her face and was
gradually replaced by love as Akane the cat reacted positively to
her hesitant petting.

     Nabiki quickly glanced around at the stunned, slack-jawed
staff of the studio.  She shook her head to clear it, then
exerted her self-control and stepped forward confidently.
"Hikaru-san, I'd like you to meet the *other* subject for today's
little session," she said in a clear, sardonic voice.  She dug in
her bag and brought out a skimpy bikini, the most daring she
owned, and held it out to Ranma.  She glanced over at her
"brother" and noticed that she was looking up from petting Akane,
staring at the scraps of material in growing horror.  She smiled
sardonically, her old smile.  "Here, Ranma-kun, why don't you get
changed?"



     *    *    *



     "Kuonji-san, you have a visitor, Saotome Nodoka-san.  Do you
feel up to seeing her?"

     Ukyou stirred, struggling against the pain of her ribs to
sit up.  The nurse hurried forward and helped her to sit up, then
stacked pillows behind her.  "The mother of the man I want to
marry?  You bet I'll see her," she said at last.

     The nurse smiled.  "Well, good luck then.  You seem awfully
young to be talking about marriage.  I hope he's worth it."

     "Honey, you'd better believe it."



     Nodoka, wearing a formal kimono and obi and carrying her
silk-wrapped katana as always, stepped next to Ukyou's bed and
bowed.  "Thank you for agreeing to see me, Ukyou-san."

     Ukyou bowed her head in reply.  "Forgive me for not bowing
properly, obasama.  Please, take a seat and make yourself
comfortable," she finished with a smile.

     Nodoka sat and smiled back as comfortably as she could in
her formal clothes.  "So please tell me, Ukyou-san, are they
treating you well here?"



     *    *    *



     "<And that's a wrap!>" said the photographer in English.  He
began to put away his camera.

     Ranma-onna looked confused, an expression which went oddly
with the cheesecake pose she was holding.  "What did he say?"

     Akane, who was standing as close as she could to Ranma while
remaining out of the shot, frowned.  "I think he said--"

     "I said that we're all done now," said the photographer.  He
stopped putting away his gear to look up.  "It's slang we use in
the trade.  You can go and get changed now," he added to Ranma.
He shook his head reflectively.  "Man, now I've seen everything.
Still, it was a good session, and we'll definitely get some great
shots out of that, Tendou-san," he said, finishing by addressing
Nabiki.  "Pity we can't get some shots of them together," he said
wistfully.  "They'd make a great couple."

     Nabiki's eyes twinkled, and her nose seemed to twitch a
little.  She went over to the photographer.  "Let's discuss
that...."



     *    *    *



     Nodoka smiled at Ukyou, finally convinced that they were
both as relaxed as they were going to get, and that the dictates
of formality had been satisfied.  Then, too, they had resumed
calling each other as they had last night, which indicated some
degree of comfort to her mind.  So finally, she got to the point.

     "Ukyou-chan, you know of course that I came today for a
reason?"

     Ukyou suddenly looked a little nervous.  "Hai, obasan."

     Nodoka nodded.  "Good.  Would you please humour me and tell
me the full story of the time my husband visited you and your
father with Ranma, and what followed?"



     *    *    *



     "Hey, that's a good idea," said the photographer.  "We can
do that!"  He turned away from Nabiki.  "Ranma-chan, sorry, Ranma-
kun, I'm afraid you can't get changed just yet!  Assistant!  Get
a posing dummy in here!"

     "Which one?" came Jiro's voice from the store-room.

     The photographer thought for a moment.  "Male number one!"

     "<Gotcha!>"

     Ranma-onna frowned.  She felt exposed in this skimpy bikini,
only the gentle, strategic restraint of the top and the odd
feeling of the thong at the back of the bikini convincing her
that she wore anything at all.  'Huh, I wonder if Nabiki's
actually worn this thing to the beach,' she asked herself as she
struck a pose at the big mirror on one wall of the studio.  She'd
been doing a lot of posing today, following the photographer's
instructions.  After a bit she'd developed the trick of
visualising herself from the outside, trying to see the effect
that Hikaru was going for.  It made her feel quite detached from
the image in the mirror.  Instead of seeing a perversion of her
'normal' body as she usually did, she saw a pretty young woman
wearing a skimpy string bikini... the sort of woman that he knew
would draw every male eye on the beach, striking with her red
hair and generous curves belying the upright, almost bouncy
carriage of the very strong.  She struck another pose, liking how
she looked.  Sexy.

     Then suddenly the image changed, becoming indubitably
herself striking a sexy pose, not some unknown stranger.  Her
stomach turned, even as once again the pages of that lunchtime
magazine flashed through her head, interspersed with memories of
the bathroom mirror.  She dropped her arms, instead hugging them
protectively to herself, looking at Akane instead.

     Akane.  Her fiancee for real, now... and again she found
herself looking with different eyes.  Akane the strong, Akane the
beautiful.  What did *she* look like naked?

     Relentlessly her memory thrust up that time when they had
first met, when she had walked in on him in his male body, his
true body, in the bathroom.  How would things have gone if they
hadn't got off on the wrong foot?  Would they already be...?

     Ruthlessly she stepped on that thought.  Hands on hips, she
challenged the photographer.  "Now what?!"

     The photographer spared her a glance, then smiled.  "Just be
patient please, Ranma-kun.  We just want to take a few more
shots."

     Akane looked worriedly at her sister.  She had *that* smile
on her face.



     *    *    *



     "...and when he told me that I was cute, I felt... well,
it's hard to explain.  It was as though he'd never left me,
Nodoka-san.  I knew then and there that we were destined to
marry, so I told him that we were engaged.  Of the promise that
had been made between our fathers.  He didn't believe me, of
course."  Ukyou's face fell as she remembered the time when she
and Ranma had met again after ten years.

     "Yes?  Do go on," prompted Nodoka.

     Ukyou looked out the window for a moment, then sighed and
returned her attention to Nodoka and continued her tale.



     *    *    *



     With lunchtime came another stranger.

     This one wore no hard hat, but he had a familiar-looking
metal clipboard held in one hand.  He marched up to Hayashi, who
pointed at Cologne standing in the doorway, watching the men
nervously eat their food.

     The stranger walked over purposefully.  He stopped in front
of her and bowed.

     "Cologne-san?  I am Health Inspector Second Class Morisato.
I work for the City of Nerima."

     Cologne returned the bow as best she could balanced on her
staff, and resisted the temptation to raise an eyebrow.
*Another* inspector?

     "I am Cologne.  I assume you wish to inspect the kitchen?"

     "That's right.  I trust this is not an inconvenient time?"

     Well.  He was at least polite.  "As you can see, we are not
currently open for business.  How can it be inconvenient?"
Cologne hated dealing with the Japanese; the cloying humility
necessary for even the most basic of everyday interactions raised
her gorge.  But one did not get to be three hundred years old
without learning to deal with distasteful necessities, and
without another word she moved to one side to allow Morisato to
begin his work.



     *    *    *



     "Okay, Ranma-kun, we're all done now.  You can go and get
changed if you like."

     Ranma-onna gratefully disappeared into the changing room.
Jiro the assistant grabbed the posing dummy and put it away, and
Hikaru the photographer chortled and rubbed his hands.  He
rewound the film and tenderly extracted it from the camera.
Nabiki stepped over to him, scenting opportunity, and Akane was
about to follow when Ranma's voice called out.

     "Akane?  Could you help me with this please?"

     She trotted over to the changing room and after knocking
stepped inside.  Ranma was standing in front of the mirror,
dressed once again in her standard Chinese outfit, pawing
disgustedly at the makeup on her face.  As Akane stepped into the
small room, Ranma looked around in relief.

     "Can you tell me how to get this stuff off?" she said with
disgust in her voice.

     Akane stifled a giggle as she grabbed the pack of tissues
intended for the purpose off the table in front of the big
mirror.  She gestured with them at the chair.  "Sit down, silly,
and I'll get it off for you."

     Ranma slumped down gratefully and Akane went to work with
the moist wipes.  "D'ya think it went okay, Akane?" she asked at
last.

     She shrugged as she firmly wiped at Ranma's face.  She could
hear the tiredness in her voice and the subtext as clearly as if
Ranma had asked it aloud:  Was it all worth while?  She knew that
he had ruthlessly pushed his own feelings to one side for the
sake of the shoot, and outwardly he... she... had appeared to be
enthusiastic about the shoot while it was going on.  But Akane
wasn't fooled.

     The trouble was, she wasn't sure either.  "I don't know,
Ranma," she said at last.  "Who can say how something like this
will go?  Hikaru-san seems happy, though."

     "Yeah."

     "Say, are you hungry?"

     Ranma looked up at Akane in surprise.  The moment was broken
by a loud growl from Ranma's stomach.  She looked away,
embarrassed.  "I guess so."

     "Let's get some lunch, shall we?  And we can visit that 99-
flavours ice cream shop afterwards, ne?"

     Ranma-onna leaped up from the chair.  "Great!  Let's go!"

     Akane giggled as Ranma charged out the door.  "Ranma!  Come
back!  I haven't finished yet!" she called as she followed him,
waving the wipes in one hand.



     *    *    *



     Morisato stopped as he caught sight of the caged duck.
Mousse was locked in a largish cage, sitting on the ground at the
rear of the Nekohanten, a bowl of water in his cage.  He looked
miserable.

     "What is that, Cologne-san?" he asked politely.

     "It is a duck," she said.  "It was to be served for dinner,
but then the cafe was destroyed.  We are keeping it until we re-
open... why waste valuable stock?"

     He looked at her sternly.  "You do not keep it in the
kitchen?"

     Cologne feigned shock.  "Not until it has been killed,
cleaned and gutted," she said.  She kept her expression neutral,
but mentally she frowned.  Who knew that Mousse was normally kept
in the kitchen?  And *two* inspectors in one day?  The builder's
foreman swore he had not called for the inspector... he was not
yet ready for him.

     Something stank, and it wasn't the garbage.



     *    *    *



     Nodoka shifted in her chair as Ukyou stared out the window
at the gathering clouds.  She frowned to herself.  Nothing Ukyou
had said had changed anything; really, she had asked her to tell
the story from her point of view more as a social exercise, to
get her comfortable and to maybe get to know her a little better
than out of any real fear that she would say anything that would
overturn what she already knew.

     So now, it was utterly certain.  Eventually Ukyou would have
to be told that her claim to her son's hand could not stand; if
the girl would not give way she would be forced to simply
abrogate the promise Genma had made, and let him deal with the
consequences.  If he had honour, he would feel it necessary to
expiate the shame in some way... but then, if he had had honour,
the engagement would never have been made.  Nodoka's lips
twitched down a little at the thought of her husband.  How had he
changed so much?  Or had he always been this way, but she had
never known?

     Sternly she pushed the thought out of her mind, returning
her attention to Ukyou.  The girl's claim on her son was present
but might as well not exist... but to lay it out baldly in front
of her, right now, would be needlessly cruel.  Best to delay that
for the moment if she could, and spare her the anguish.  She was
beginning to like Ukyou, attracted to her strong spirit, her
pride.  Certainly she had rough edges in plenty, but there was
also a caring heart.  Her maternal instincts beckoned.

     Just as they had for the imaginary Ranko-chan.

     Hopefully Ukyou would not be too proud to reject what she
was about to offer.  She rearranged her clothing noisily, drawing
Ukyou's gaze back to her.

     "Thank you very much for telling me all of that, Ukyou-
chan," she said gently.  "I'm sure it wasn't easy for you."

     Ukyou turned back to Nodoka.  She had watched the elder
woman's reflection in the window glass, and had noted with a pang
the play of expression on her face.  She was reminded of her own
thoughts when Nodoka had invited her to dinner the previous
evening.  "You're not going to let me marry Ranma, are you?" she
said.

     Nodoka slowly shook her head in regret.  The girl just *had*
to ask precisely the wrong questions... and it would not do to
lie to her.  "I'm afraid you are correct, Ukyou-chan," she said
softly, gently.

     "No!  It can't be!"  Ukyou fought against the growing weight
in her chest.  "Ranma was promised to *me*!"  Hot tears gathering
in her eyes blurred her view of Ranma's mother, and an expression
that had before attracted her with its display of love and an
iron will now appeared hard and pitying, tearing at her resolve.
Desperately she put forth her strongest and last argument.

     "But I *love* him!"

     The tears gathering in Ukyou's eyes dripped unheeded down
her cheeks to fall onto her chest.  Nodoka saw a bottomless pain
in Ukyou's face before she turned her head to look out the window
so as to spare her unnecessary embarrassment.

     Her heart went out to the young girl.  She claimed she loved
Ranma, and perhaps she did.  It was good that she loved Ranma.
Few enough people did; his upbringing made him difficult to get
close to and the constant stream of challengers he attracted made
him dangerous to be around.  He was lonely.

     It was good that Ukyou loved Ranma, but it was the wrong
kind of love.  She hoped that Ukyou's love could be changed in
its nature, or there could be interesting times ahead.  She
contemplated the intricate, infinite shapes of the gray clouds
outside as she wondered how to handle the problem, particular in
light of what she planned for the girl.

     Through her tears and the sobs choking her throat, sobs that
she suppressed with difficulty, Ukyou watched Ranma's mother
contemplate the gathering clouds outside.  She wanted to yell and
scream and rail at the older woman, but she knew that that would
accomplish nothing.  Even after such a short acquaintance, she
knew that Saotome Nodoka had a will of iron, for all that she was
a loving mother.

     Why was she not leaving her alone with her hurt?

     She must have something more to say to her, she concluded at
length.  She wiped her eyes, forcing down her tears for the
moment, pushing the dark feelings of anger, loss, and loneliness
to the back of her heart.  Finally she felt able to speak.

     "Obasan... did you have something else to say?"

     Nodoka turned back from the window an faced Ukyou again.
The girl's face was splotchy but she was not crying... not on the
outside, anyway.  Her dark brown eyes were wells of pain, and
Nodoka's heart cried out within her at Ukyou's torment, wanting
to hold her and coddle away the tears within her.

     "Please accept my most heartfelt apologies, Ukyou-chan.  I
regret the necessity... but I *do* have something else to offer
you."

     "If I can't marry Ran-chan, I don't *want* anything else!"
Ukyou spat in sudden anger.

     "You are understandably distraught," replied Nodoka
automatically, her tone firm.  She stopped herself, and smiled at
Ukyou.  "Please listen to what I have to say, Ukyou-chan," she
finished.

     Ukyou said nothing but gestured for Nodoka to continue, her
expression tight.

     "You will recall that you were to be taken from your father
and raised as one of our own, yes?"

     Ukyou frowned, confused.  Where was she going with this?

     Nodoka smiled winningly.  "I'd like to adopt you, Ukyou.
Give you a loving family.  A mother and a brother who love you,
at the very least."  She couldn't bring herself to mention Genma.

     She saw that Ukyou was flabbergasted, unable to speak.  She
pressed on, hoping that she would see sense and agree.

     "In this way, as much as possible of the original pledge is
satisfied, Ukyou-chan.  As for the rest, and the time you were
left with your father, well, I'm sure we can arrange some
reparations for that if necessary.  Besides," she finished
brightly, "I've always wanted a daughter!"

     Ukyou leaned back against the pillow, stunned.  Her anger
and pain forgotten for the moment, her mind was filled with the
implications of what Nodoka was asking and the opportunities that
might arise.

     She would be living in the same house as Ranma, and perhaps
he would come to love her if he could see her all the time, the
way he did Akane.  She could cook for Ranma all the time, care
for him... all sorts of opportunities might arise.

     And Nodoka... covertly, she looked her over, thinking about
her.  She would certainly be a worthy mother.  Iron willed, yet
loving and gentle, Ukyou could see that she could learn a lot
from  Nodoka.  And sister to Ranma....

     Scenes tumbled in her head.



     Thunder crashed outside, ripping the night and rattling the
windows until it seemed they would break.  Silently, Ukyou
slipped into Ranma's room and slipped under the covers.

     Ranma awoke with a start.  "U-u-ucchan!  What are you
doing?!"

     Ukyou grabbed him tightly.  He was so warm.  "Ranma, I'm
scared!" she said in a shaky voice.  "The thunder and the
lightning..."



     Silently, Ukyou slipped into the bathroom, her towel held in
front her her.  Ranma was soaking in the steaming furo, a snowy
towel folded and perched on his head.  He looked up at the sound
of the door closing.

     "U-u-ucchan!" he stuttered in shock.  "What are you doing in
here!?"

     Ukyou sat a low bathing stool and turned her back to Ranma.
"I'm your sister, silly.  Can't I even get my brother to scrub my
back?"



     A slightly maniacal giggle escaped her.

     Nodoka smiled hopefully as Ukyou suddenly broke into a grin
and giggled.  "So you agree, then?" she asked.

     Ukyou nodded.  "Hai... okaachan."  A thought took her, and
she hopped out of bed, wincing a little and favouring her side.

     "What are you *doing*, Ukyou-chan?" asked Nodoka aghast as
Ukyou stepped to the locker in which her clothes were stored.
"You should get back into bed!"

     "Sitting around here feeling sorry for myself isn't running
the store, and my ribs will knit just as fast out of here as in,"
replied Ukyou as she dressed awkwardly, favouring her side
gingerly.  "Besides, I can't *wait* to see Ranma's face when we
tell him."



     *    *    *



     Thunder rumbled ominously from the sky as Akane, Nabiki, and
Ranma in his female form walked up the street towards the Tendou-
ke.  Ranma-onna was between the two girls and each of them held
one of her hands.  The bag dangled loosely from Nabiki's free
hand.  Akane had taken Ranma's hand naturally when they had got
off the train at the local station, and Nabiki had taken Ranma's
other hand after a few moments. Akane had taken a breath to
object but the happy expression on her sister's face had stopped
her words unspoken.

     She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen an expression
of such honest happiness on Nabiki's face.

     Ranma, who had been pleased when Akane took her hand, had
jumped a little when Nabiki had grasped the other.  She waited
for Akane to object but was surprised when she didn't.  Looking
the other way, she too had seen Nabiki's expression and hadn't
had the heart to drop her hand.

     If only Nabiki would stop wiggling her hand, almost
caressing....

     Reaching the gate, the three dropped hands and Nabiki led
the way through.  Ranma brought up the rear, closing the gate
carefully.

     "Hi, Ukyou," came Nabiki's surprised voice.  "Out of
hospital already?"

     Ranma turned and saw through the wide-open doors her mother
and Ukyou kneeling in living room, tea cups in their hands.  Soun
was there too.  Ukyou was grinning.  "Hi, Nabiki.  Hi, Akane."

     Ranma dashed forward.  "Ucchan!  Are you okay?! What are you
doin' here?"

     "Ranma, come over here and sit down," said Nodoka.  "I have
news for you.  You too, Akane-chan."

     Curious, Ranma, stepped inside and noticed Soun lurking in
the shadows at the rear of the room by the humming fan.  He, too,
held a tea cup, and a neutral expression.

     Kneeling at her usual place at the table, she frowned as the
implication of a happy Ukyou in the presence of her mother struck
home.  Ukyou must have convinced Nodoka to do the unthinkable.

     Akane was frowning, too.

     Fighting the sinking feeling in her stomach, Ranma reached
out and took Akane's hand.

     "What is it, mother?" she asked, nervously.

     "Ukyou-chan and I have come to an agreement," she said with
a happy smile.  "Ukyou-chan, won't you greet Ranma?" said Nodoka
after a long pause.

     "Welcome home, Ranma-oniichan," said Ukyou demurely with a
wicked twinkle in her eye.

     Ranma facefaulted.  "W-what did you call me?"

     Nodoka answered her.  "Ranma, Ukyou is now your sister.  It
so happens that she is two months younger than you."

     "Sister?"

     "Perhaps I should have said, 'Ranma-oneechan,'" put in Ukyou
wickedly.

     Ranma reeled in shock.  "S-she did?"  Her eyes searched
Ukyou's face, and found what she was looking for in a momentary
look of pain that disappeared behind another smile... a rather
mischievous smile, Ranma thought.

     Two women under one roof... he began to Sweat.



     *    *    *



     Ranma, still female, and Ukyou knelt opposite each other in
the centre of the dojo.  Ranma-onna's face bore a worried
expression and Ukyou's face was serious.  "Ucchan... are you
really okay with this?"

     "Why, Ranma?  Don't you want a sister?"

     "Dammit, Ucchan, I'm worried about you!  I saw your
expression when mom invited you 'round.  You sure didn't look
happy then, and now you're joking and smiling.  Wouldn't you
worry?"

     "I'm happy because I've got a brother!"

     Ranma looked away from Ukyou, pretending interest in the
garden.  She swallowed; this was never going to be easy and
Ukyou's attitude was only making it harder.  "Ucchan, I..." he
began, then turned back to face her again.  "You should know that
Akane and I, we... kind of have an understanding now."

     Ukyou sighed and looked out the dojo's main entrance at the
garden.  "I think I guessed last night, Ranchan."  For a long
time she was silent, but Ranma waited patiently for her to
continue.  Finally she said, looking back at her childhood
friend, "Ranma, I won't lie to you.  It hurts, it hurts a lot.
More than you can know.  But you know... it would hurt just as
much or maybe more being on my own at the store, and at least
this way I can love you as a sister, even if I'm not permitted to
love you as a wife."  She snorted.  "It occurred to me that the
only thing I can't get as your sister that I would have as your
wife is your children, and I can help bring up yours and Akane's.

     "Besides, I admire your -- my -- mother.  I think I can
learn a lot from her.  I get her, I get you... I get love.
There's only one thing more I could want, but I think I can deal
with not getting that."  She smiled gently.

     "You also get oyaji."

     Ukyou snorted.  "No deal is perfect."  The gentle smile
returned to her face as she continued.  "All in all, I think I
got a pretty good deal.  I guess I'd more or less admitted to
myself that I was going to lose you completely, so when you
mother made her offer I grabbed it with both hands."  Suiting
action to word, she leaned forward and grabbed Ranma's hands,
wincing as the action pulled at her injured side.  "I'm not going
to pretend that losing my dream isn't going to hurt, Ran-chan.
It already hurts, deep inside, but it's been hurting for a while
now I think.  As long as you'll let me love you, and love me
back, I think I can stand it."

     "Of course I will, Ucchan!"  Ranma swallowed, but forced
herself to continue.  "I guess I've always thought of you as a
friend or a sister or something, but please forgive me, I've
never seen you, you know, romantically."  She grinned lopsidedly.
"I've always wanted a sister."

     "I'd hug you, niichan, but I don't think my ribs would take
it."




Glossary:
Okaachan - mom.
Oneechan - elder sister.
Oniichan - elder brother.
Obasan - aunt, or a term of moderate respect for any lady.
Onna - woman, female