* Author's Notes:

Well it seems like it's the season for S.I. fanfics since they seem to be
popping up everywhere. This is a revised draft and this is just my little
experiment with writing an S.I. 


What it is, to be like you.
By Kahlil Noriega

Standard Disclaimer: 
All Rights belong to the creators of Ranma �


Chapter One - The first day


Furinkan High schoolyard...


"Hey! have you heard about the new student?"

"Yeah! I hear that she's really hot!"

"I heard that she registered here yesterday and that she's coming in
today."

"Really!"

"Man! I'd sure like to meet her!"

"Hey get in line! I saw her first!"

"Huh? And who made you boss Michir-...oh."

"Hey, why are you all so quie-...oh" The student's question ended as he
followed his peers glazed eyes before he too stood there in trance like
adoration.

A girl stepped through the gates of Furinkan High, dressed in the school's
uniform of blue skirts and white blouse. Her long golden hair ran down her
back like spun gold. Her head was slightly tilted down as her blue grey
eyes starred sullenly at the ground before her. She had a resigned look on
her face as if trying to accept some dire fate. And her eyes held sadness,
yet even this did not remove the fact that she was beautiful. 

She clutched her bag tightly to her chest, too tight, arms encircled
protectively around it as she walked through the school yard amidst the
whispers and stares of the now awakened populace of the school. Boys stared
hungrily while girls looked on with a mixture of distrust and presumptions
about the girl. Rumors would spread rapidly, yet the girl only ignored them
as she walked slowly to the doors of the school building.

"Hold, fair one..." A voice called out in front of her... 

She looked up and noticed the obstruction before her as her eyes held
recognition briefly in them before it was replaced by fear as she hastily
backed a step away from the man...

Kuno brought his wooden sword to his side when he saw the girl had stopped
before him. 

Kuno began spouting non-sense about beauty and dating, which the girl
clearly ignored by turning her face to the side avoiding any chance to look
at him. And she felt more depressed and angry than ever before...

"Oh how, the heavens greet thee, for I shall date thee..." Kuno charged her
with outstreched arms. 

Surprised by this the girl backpeddaled hastily, tripping over her self as
she tried to get away from the charging boy. She landed on her back side as
Kuno gets knocked away.

She is helped by a familiar girl with a large spatula in her hand, and she
felt suddenly afraid. And gave her thanks quickly amid the stares given to
her by her savior and the student body.

As she entered the building, she walked through its narrow halls, ignoring
the rest as she walked slowly, thinking. Noticing two adjacent doors,
either one held a sign of a man and woman. She looked at them both, and
with a resigned sigh, she pushes on the womens door.

The washroom was empty, and she thanked the gods it was so. Noticing the
large mirror on her right. She turned around and faced it looking at the
girl she knew wasn't her. 

She looked at the mirror before her in fear. Blue eyes that held sadness a
moment ago, turned to bitter anguish. Unshed tears pooled in her eyes, as
she cautiously held out her hand, feeling the smooth cold surface of the
mirror before she tentatively carressed her golden hair...

And dropped her hand to her side as she bowed her head trying not to cry.
Her fists tightened beside her as she tried to hold back the tears, but
they came unwillingly... 

"I'm a man..." She whispered to herself "I'm a man, I don't belong here.
Not like this!" 

She stood there half bowed over the sink, hands pressed firmly on the wash
stand as tears began flowing down her cheeks.

"I'm a man..." she whispered again.

And she lashed out, striking the mirror with a solid punch that cracked it.
Blood bled from her wounded hand as pain lanced down through her arm. And
she sagged down onto the floor, clutching her bloodied hand to her chest as
she wept. The pain was a welcome feeling, she thought. It helped dull her
memory... 

Suddenly, she felt comforting hands holding her shoulders. And she looked
up tearfaced at her savior. Ukyou held a sweet understanding smile on her
face, as she gently if not firmly helped her rise off the cold floor. She
wiped away some of the tears off her cheeks with her hand, comforting her
with words of encouragement.

"It's ok hon, you're going to be ok. Hush now...there..."

And for the first time in 'her' life in this world. She smiled... 

Ukyou then offered to take her to the nurse's office to bandage her injured
hand as well as lend her a new set of clothes to wear in place of the
bloody one she was already wearing. The girl thanked her for her offer and
accepted them graciously. Feeling hope in her heart that it might not have
been as bad as it first seemed...

A man, trapped as a girl in a world so unlike his own. 


***


And so here she was, standing in front of a class of her new friend. A
bandaged hand, and an old school uniform she borrowed from her. A uniform
she knew all too well, a blue pleated skirt and a white sailor blouse, her
friend told her it was from Juuban High. 

And she smiled as her new friend gave a warm smile from where she sat at
the back row behide a familiar young man. And this thought brought a slight
wince from her but she stifled it quickly as the teacher introduced her in
front of the class.

"Hi I'm Noriage Ranka" and she smiled.

~ to be continued...


***


Chapter Two - Reflections...


The setting sun, brilliant in the slowly reddening sky...

It would be dark soon she thought...

She didn't care...

She sat on a small hill, watching the green grass sway before her as the
wind passed by. Her chin rested comfortably on her knees as the winds
lightly tossed back her golden hair and sadness held her blue-gray eyes. 

She tucked away a few of the stray strands behind her ear as she leaned her
cheek on her knees and drew her legs even tighter to her body. Closing her
eyes, she tried to hold back the tears...

A few escaped, carried off by the wind...

"I'm not supposed to be here..." she whispered to herself as clouds drifted
slowly above her and the wind lightly shook the leaves hanging from the
trees. Its long thick branches sheltered her like an outstretched wing as
soft fragrant pink petals floated gently around her. 

Memories of happy times came unbidden as soft voices in her mind called out
to her. "Cheer up, OK?" she heard her youngest sister call out to her in a
friendly greeting and a smile as she turned around and faded away. "Happy
birthday, son..." she heard her mother cry, as she saw in her minds eye her
mother holding out a lighted birthday cake in her hands. Her father, she
saw, stood behind her mother with an arm encircling her. Both of them were
smiling as they too faded in the mists of memory. "Hey! Go easy on the
chick's man! Leave some for me!" she spun around to see her best friend
call out, a grin planted on his face as he smiled, before he too faded in
the mists of memory...  

Tilting her head up. She saw the sun setting in the horizon as the sky
blazed with color, orange on red mixed in with purple and bright yellow. It
would be dark soon she thought as she began cry...

"Hey-" a soft voice called nearby.

Ranka turned her head around, surprised, as her eyes fixed on the source of
the call. 

Ukyou stood a few meters away, with her battle spatula strapped neatly
behind her. She wore her typical blue bandoleer and tight black fitting
pants as a piece of white cloth tied back her long brown hair. She had a
concerned look on her face as she watched Ranka looking at her. Ranka
turned her eyes away; avoiding Ukyou's concerned eyes as she turned her own
to stare at the ground before her. She didn't notice, nor care that Ukyou
walked up and stood beside her as she leaned down to ask...

"Mind if I join you?" 

Ranka didn't reply; she just shrugged her shoulders and continued to stare
at the setting sun. Ukyou sat silently beside her; sometimes turning
worried eyes at Ranka as she sat unmoving and if a bit nervous...

"Would you like to talk about it?" Ukyou offered as she turned around to
face her friend.

Ranka just bowed her head, turning her eyes to the side avoiding her eyes.
Contemplating if she should tell her and clearly afraid of what she might
say...

"I'm... sorry...I didn't mean to pry..." Ukyou said sadly, turning her eyes
away to look at the sun before her. She lazily plucked a piece of grass,
twiddling it in between her fingers as she thought about what to say or do.

"I didn't see you after class this morning, I thought you'd left early..."
Ukyou said cheerfully, trying to cheer her up, it didn't seem to work. It
only depressed her more. 

Ranka thought about this morning's class, all the joy she'd felt when she
first arrived melted like snow in the summer. Boys, she shivered at the
thought of what it was like being surrounded by them. Rabid, like a pack of
wolves...    

And she shivered voluntarily...

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Yes. I...I have a place..." Ranka said softly, still staring at the
ground. 

"Ok. So, I'll see you tomorrow in class right?!"

Ranka just nods her head in reply. 

"It will be all right, don't worry so much..." Ukyou assured her as she
gently patted her shoulder as she got up.

"It will be alright."

Ranka just gave her a reassuring smile as she watched Ukyou turn around and
leave, before turning her eyes towards the horizon. She sat there quietly
on the hill, thinking over what Ukyou said; "It will be all right..." she
heard her say.

And somehow, she doubted it would be...

***

The city wasn't like what she'd always pictured it would be in her dreams.
It was deathly quiet and it unnerved her all the more. So many times she'd
seen this city in her favorite shows that she'd treated it like an old
friend, yet now it felt like a total stranger. Where every tree, bush or
window seemed alien and looked at her accusingly like it was all her fault.

She rubbed her arms, trying to shake off their stares, as she felt all the
more alone in this world...

Walking those empty streets seemed to take forever as the sun nearly passed
the horizon. The sky was a bright orange, tinged with red and purple,
hi-lighting her hair as she crossed the city's quiet streets.

Walking seemed to help yet the quietness of the place dulled even that
slight relief... 

***

Her room wasn't like she'd always pictured it would be, a guy's or even a
girl's room in the anime never came close.  It was small, but it was hers,
with only a single small window on the far wall opposite the door.
Perpendicular to this small hallway was another door that led to her room's
small bathroom. 

Ranka stood within it, staring at her face enclosed in a small mirror
hanging on the wall. One corner of it was cracked as she stared at the face
within that foot high mirror, tentatively touching her face and hair as she
set aside a few of the stray strands behind her ear. Sadness and fear
looked out from her eyes as she dropped her gaze wanting as much to avoid
the mirrors bitter truth.

The sounds of a large hammer falling on metal echoed within the small
bathroom as construction of a building nearby continued. 

She turned around and reluctantly walked back to what was her room.
Scanning her few belongings as she stood in the middle. A small hospital
bed was fixed in the corner, parallel to the window with a small wooden
desk sitting at the foot of the bed. Beside her bed was another small table
but she fixed her eyes on the small desk underneath the window. There,
gleaming in the dying light was a long metallic rod. A flute she thought as
she crossed the distance between them.

Picking it up, she caressed its smooth metallic surface longingly as
memories played in her mind. Laughter intermixed with images of happier
times played in her mind as she walked over to her bed and sat down.
Lifting her legs up and on the bed, with one leg stretched and the other
bent and drawn close to her chest; she began to play as tears unwillingly
ran down her cheeks as soft music filled the room...

Memories rushed and died as she played...

And for a moment, it was the only thing that could be heard...

In her heart, in the city and in her room...

And then the music died... 

The metal flute fell on the floor in a metallic clatter. And all that could
be heard within that room was the soft muffled cry of a girl weeping.
Huddled in a small corner of the bed, with knees drawn up to her chest as
she wept...

~ To be continued...


***


Chapter 3 - The Third Day


Darkness...

All she could see was darkness... 

She could hear her hollow footsteps ring through the empty and narrow
corridor she walked in... 

So empty, she thought as she stepped on a glowing circular light on the
floor which hi-lighted her childish features from below. The circular
lights, she saw, ran parallel with the walls in a straight line, with no
end in sight... 

Somewhere, a silent and cold breeze blew by; and she felt it crawl
underneath her skin as she shivered in the dark. And she rubbed her arms to
warm them, while her eyes kept darting from wall to wall, afraid of what
the shadows contained...

"Mama..." she heard herself whisper in the dark. Desperately not to be
alone...

No reply came, only the emptiness of the hall returned her frightened cry.

"Where are you? Mama!" she called out.

"I'm scared..." she heard her voice say, a child weeping in the darkness;
alone and afraid, standing in a long and narrow hall and still no reply
came...

"Mama..."she whispered again... 

And shivered as she felt the cold touch of the wind on her skin.


*click*click*click* 


She froze at the sound of footsteps behind her, slow and steady it came to
her as a cold chill ran up her spine. She moved on, walking silently in the
dark...


*Thump*


"Mama..." she heard herself whisper, as the sounds of huge doors that
banged open in the darkness reverberated within the darkened halls she
walked in...

"Mama, please..."


*click*click*click*


"Mama..." She whispered again, turning around to face the hall behind her
back, waiting...

She could hear sounds, mechanical sounds she thought; clanking in the
darkness as it grew stronger and felt terribly closer. She saw the brief
glint of metal shining in the dark as the object moved in the shadows made
by the glowing circles on the floor... 

She ran...

Afraid of the monster in the dark...

Her footsteps rang loud and clear as she ran, the lights on the floor
danced around her as tears streaked down from her eyes as she labored for
breath. While the sounds of the machine follwed her from behind...

"Mama..." she heard herself whisper breathlessly in the dark. Unshed tears
streaming down her young cheeks as she ran.

Silence greeted her cry, accompanied by the dull rumbling noise of the
machines coming closer...

She stole a brief glance behind her, darkness was all that she could see...


*Bump* 


"Ahh - Oww..." she cried as she staggered back and fell on the floor. Pain,
was all that she could feel, and fear. Slowly, she turned her eyes up to
see, and her shot open... her mother? Her face, she saw, was shrouded in
darkness, but her arms were open and were calling out to her. She got up
and ran to them. Encircling her small arms around her mothers thighs as she
buried her face, weeping into her skirt as the noise behind her grew
stronger, louder and closer...

"Mama, I'm scared...there's something moving in the dark."

And there was, moving in the dark, the brief glint of metal, the single
sharp red eye and the noise it made, it wanted her, thirsted for her.
Ranka, could feel its desire for her as she tightened her grip on her
mother's thighs and buried her head deeper within the folds of her mother's
dress.

"Mama? Please, don't let the bad men get me..."

Her mother just looked down at her, her eyes covered in darkness as she
looked down at the child embracing her legs. She placed a comforting hand
on the child's shoulders, and the child shivered at the touch, feeling her
cold touch, yet the child refused to let go...

"Don't worry, my child, I'm here..." her mother answered softly. 

"I'm scared mama..." she cried in her skirt.

"Don't be frightened, my child. They won't hurt you..." 

"Mama..." She heard her self say as she turned to look up at her mother's
eyes but couldn't find them in the dark... 

"Soon, it will be over. There is nothing to fear..." Her mother whispered
faintly, coldly...

"Mama...Ahhh!" She gasped as she heard it.

Footsteps, getting closer, louder. She refused to look, tightening her
hold, hoping, praying...couldn't look, musn't look...she closed her eyes
tight...

"Mama, please...arghhh-aahhh" she cried as she felt her body tighten in a
vice like grip, and all she could do was cry out in pain...

As the red eye watched her pain...


***


"Uhhhuhh..." 

Ranka opened her eyes and found herself on her side on top of her bed in
her room. Head lying on top of her left arm as the other lay in front of
her on top of the bed as she stared at the blank and empty wall before her.


Leaning on her left elbow, she rubbed her head with her other hand; feeling
the pain of her headache and clenched her teeth in a grimace. She felt like
she wanted to topple over, but slowly, determinedly she pushed herself to
sit upright as the pain in her head subsided.

"Just a dream..." she tried to tell herself. 

"It was just a dream..."

Ranka was still dressed in the uniform Ukyou lent her. She didn't realise
that she had fallen asleep, while crying the other day.  

It was still dark outside, she saw; night had finally arrived. Yet she
didn't feel like sleeping as sat there, leaning on the wall behind her,
silently thinking...


***


The first few minutes seemed unreal like it were all some sort of crazy
dream. Touching and feeling, it was all real she thought; no matter how
much she tried to deny it that this was was all just a dream. She felt
anger, rage, lost and finally self-loathing, the last feeling took up most
of the morning she remembered before she finally accepted though a bit
resigned. 

Yet the feeling of lost, remained, and it would be a long time before she
got over it...

She remembered looking through 'her' stuff, she half wanted to cry then and
curse the fates. Why couldn't she have been given a male body instead? But
no, and somehow she felt that the fates where laughing at 'her' misery...

She remembered looking through her drawers, then the window, looking for
things that might shed some answers. But it wasn't that easy. No clues at
all...

Stepping outside, taking in the view of the city from her high perch on top
of a five story apartment building. The sun was setting then, like it
always had. Oranges and red, bright yellows and gold, the almost empty
streets at that time, and the fear she had felt when she had crossed them. 

She remembered seeing the school, Furinkan, so familiar; yet foreign, now
that she stood in its almost empty yard. She could still feel their stares
on her skin as she entered the building. Registering, she had a hard time
doing that, but she got in. Somehow...

After that, she began to explore her immediate surroundings, the shops and
streets, the parks...all that. To forget? Maybe, she wasn't sure... 

And it was time to go back home...

"But this isn't my home..."

And she remembered crying that night...


***


It was still dark outside she thought, though not as dark as it was before;
it would be morning soon. And somehow she wished it would never come.
Another day, she wanted to go home...

"No, I mustn't cry..." she stated, holding back the tears before they shed
as she got up and off of the bed. Steadying herself with her hands on the
wall as she stood up. Her head was still a little fuzzy as she leaned her
back on the wall... 

She felt like throwing up as her body began sending unfamiliar and painful
sensations to her mind. She denied herself the luxury of emptying her
stomach then as she staggered over to her desk; and opened her drawer and
glaced inside at its meager contents. 

Inside were a few bills and coins, she would need to get a job soon she
thought. And she sighed in resignation as she began to prepare for
school...

It would be a long day after all...


***


Walking to school quietly, both hands clutching her bag tightly over her
chest; Ranka stared at the ground blankly as the clouds drifted slowly
overhead. She ignored the stares she drew as the cars on the streets
quickly passed by as the light of the morning sun, glinted brightly on the
glass of the tall buildings she passed by.  

Stopping at an intersection, she noticed a mother holding her child's hand
as they walked pass the streets and surounding shops. She looked at them
longingly, remembering her own mother before snapping out of her brief
trance as she crossed the street...

She also noticed a group of guys looking at her and she quickly shied away
to avoid them. Passing between them as they parted before her, she could
still feel their stares behind her and it creeped her even more. She felt
sick to her stomach as she ran...


***

 
Leaning on a wall, she tried to gather her strength and breath before she
finally composed herself to walk steady and slowly then stopped.
 
She noticed a wanted poster on a nearby shop, a restaurant she thought.  It
said that this restaurant needed a new waitress. And she considered the
poster briefly, it paid well and could cover most of her expenses, but it
wasn't enough...

A friendly voice called out from behind her, startling her as she pressed
herself back onto the window of the shop. Before she turned her eyes up to
look at a bearded middle aged man standing before her in mild shock and an
apologetic smile. 

"I'm sorry if I startled you, miss." he said apologetically as he smiled.
Something about the man, and his smile made her relax a bit as he began to
apologise for sneaking up behind her and startling her.

He then asked her if she was interested for the job to which she replied
that she was. He was happy to hear that she was interested. 

"Well I'm glad to know that. Having such a pretty waitress I'm sure I'll
draw more customers in!" 

Ranka grimaced a little at the idea of attracting more men. And if she
could, she'd avoid them entirely, but something in the man's smile made her
smile too as she gave her thanks. Telling him that she'll think about it
first.

"Fine, fine, take all the time you need. But not too much though..." he
said smiling. 

Ranka returned his smile and nodded her head, glad at the prospect of
finding a new job so quickly as she left promising to return once she
thought about it as she waved good bye.


***


School was its usual mess. And she smiled at the familiarity of it all, it
brought an almost welcome distraction. As always, Ranma got what he
'deserved', and she smiled. It was even better watching the anime, and she
had to admit Akane was kinda cute when she was angry. And she smiled.

Then came the lectures, surprisingly she found them to be interesting and
sometimes funny. Even the usual hormonal boy trouble mildly lowered her
spirits.

That's why she found herself sitting on top of the roof of the school
building. Looking at the setting sun in the horizon, sinking over the city.
It might not be so bad after all she thought...

~ To be continued...


Explanations:

Anyway, I hope you like the story so far. Sorry about the ending of this
chapter, if it was kinda too quick a finish or something. 

Anyway, if there's anything you wish to say to me about this fic or any
other work I've done, please tell me. Even a short reply would be nice. In
fact, I implore you to do so. Please send all C&C, MST or even flames to
the address below or to the FFML if you feel bold enough to do so.

E-mail: Becknkal@addax.bc.ca

And if you're curious as to what other stories I've done. Please don't
hesitate to visit my sister's Web Page at:

The anything goes Ranma 1/2 fanfic page
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/9371

Anyway, that's that for my rant. ^_^

Sincerely
~ Kahlil Noriega