Chapter 7
Truth

	Ryouga held up the school uniform to his chest as he looked into the tall
department store mirrors. He looked into the mirror at Ukyou who was
standing behind him, looking also at the image of Ryouga in the mirror.
Ryouga finally asked, "Well?"
	Ukyou looked him up and down, and finally said, "Well. I suppose it will
have to do." She pushed him into a small changing room and shut the door
after him.
Ryouga said, peering over the top of the shut door, "Uh, what do I do now?"
	"Try the damn thing on, you idiot!" Ukyou said, exasperated. Ryouga’s head
disappeared and the sounds of clothing being removed began.
	Ukyou sat down for a few minutes, staring blankly at the rows of uniforms
and trying not to think about Ranma. Finally she realized just how long
Ryouga was taking and said, "What’s taking so long?"
	Ryouga muttered from inside the room, "I just have a bit of trouble undoing
all these stupid uniform buttons."
	Ukyou sighed and stood up, knocking on the door. "Ryouga, if you are still
decent, open the door and let me in. I will do the buttons for you."
	The door opened hesitantly and a somewhat flustered Ryouga peeked his head
out and said, "Uh… sorry. I am just not used to these kinds of clothes."
	Ukyou pushed him into the dressing room and shut the door behind the two of
them.
	Ryouga became visibly redder, which seemed to be a minor miracle. Ukyou
bapped him on the forehead with the heel of her hand and asked, "What’s your
problem, dummy?"
	Ryouga stuttered, "Uh…. I…I… I um… am not used to being in small enclosed
spaces with girls."
	Ukyou bapped him again and said sharply, "YOU are the one who says I don’t
act like a girl half the time. So cool it. Just pretend I am a guy."
	A bead of sweat formed on the back of Ryouga’s head as he gulped and
allowed Ukyou to unbutton his shirt. It took her all of two minutes. During
those two minutes Ryouga was positively uncomfortable. After how friendly
she had been and that sweet, feminine smile before they had entered the
store… it had changed the way he thought about Ukyou. She had such pretty
hair…. It looked so soft…. And as she leaned over to unbutton the bottom
buttons, Ryouga couldn’t help but think that he would like to have someone
like her to help him with this sort of stuff all the time.
But UKYOU? He had know Ukyou for a long time, and she had always been after
Ranma, so he had never even considered it. She and he usually fought… and
she was always telling him that he was stupid… He remembered clearly that
whole fiasco at the Cave of Lost Love. But… they had worked together well
against the ghosts… and everyone had thought they made a good couple….
Ryouga laughed mentally. Sure. She thought he was an idiot… and a lot of
times he had to agree. And half the time she was rude and bossy and
masculine… What was he thinking? But… She was no longer just a fellow
martial artist or one of Ranma’s fiancees…. She was single and (he was
starting to notice) actually quite pretty… and (big gulp here) he was LIVING
with her. He got a little worried when he felt his nose starting to get hot
and sighed in relief as she finally backed away from him, having finished.
"What?" she asked, noticing the far-away look on his face.
"Uh…" Ryouga was shocked back to earth from his daydreams. He looked at her
and she was, once again, just plain, practical, manly Ukyou. Ryouga reached
up with one of his fists to bonk himself for his ridiculous musings. But
Ukyou caught the hand before it reached his head. She looked at it for a
second, examining the fingers, and then noted, "Ah. I see why you couldn’t
unbutton the uniform yourself. Your hands are so big."
Ryouga grunted and quickly pulled his hand back, saying rapidly, "Um… yeah.
Well, that is a good thing for martial arts and the ‘Breaking Point’ but not
for unbuttoning shirts."
Both laughed uncomfortably.
Then there was silence. They looked at each other and felt generally
uncomfortable. Ukyou finally backed towards the door and said, nervously,
"Uh… I will wait outside. I think you can handle it from here."
And then she was gone.
Ryouga sighed and took of the rest of the uniform. His eyes were on his
clothes and his hands worked to remove and put on the various layers, but
his mind was far, far, away, imagining Ukyou… and him. Together? Ryouga
finally bonked his head as he was going to do earlier.
"I really AM an idiot. She would never go for me anyway."

*****

Ukyou leaned up against the wall next to the changing room, breathing
deeply, trying to calm herself. What was this strange…almost… ATTRACTION she
had felt in the changing room? No. It had to just be her nerves… upset from
everything that had happened with Ranma.
	Ukyou wandered over into the women’s section… something she had only
infrequently done. She picked up one of the school dresses and ran her hands
over the soft blue and white cotton. She imagined Akane wearing this dress,
Ranma at her side, walking to school.
	Why was it so EASY for Akane? Akane was just as much of a tomboy as
herself…. But SOMEHOW… she managed to maintain the balance between feminine
and masculine.
	Something Ukyou herself had never quite been able to master.
	Ukyou walked over to the full-length mirror and held the dress up. She
could only think that it was…so…so… SIMPERING. She made a face and wondered
what boys could possibly SEE in this sort of get-up?
	Ukyou made her way to a dressing room and closed the door behind her. She
slowly reached up and began to undo the buttons of her school uniform. She
looked down at her small hands, marveling at the difference in Ryouga’s. ONE
of his hands were the same size as her own.
	She peeled off the jacket, and the undershirt followed.
	Ukyou stared in the mirror at her bound breasts. They were actually large
breasts, and if she didn’t keep them tightly bound they easily revealed her
true sex. However, if she was going to try on a girl’s uniform.. she might
as well go all the way. She sighed an slowly began to unwrap the cloth,
sighing in relief, feeling much lighter and more comfortable with the stiff
binding removed.
	She stared at herself in the mirror, almost surprised to see that she was
still a woman after all these years of pretending to be otherwise. She
slipped off her pants and kicked them into a corner, and finally grabbed the
dress. She paused to finger it once more, remembering Ryouga’s words about
Akane, "At least SHE dresses like a girl!"
	And then she pulled the dress over her head. She zipped it up and then,
slightly hesitant and afraid, turned to look in the mirror.
	And felt ridiculous.
	She pulled her hair down from its tie, hoping that would help improve the
image and force it to look more feminine in her eyes…. But all she could see
was herself, Ukyou Kuonji, in a dress. And for some reason that felt and
looked wrong.
	She was starting to understand how Ranma felt.
	She grabbed her pile of clothes off the floor, intent on getting the
hideous blue dress off as soon as possible… and then she thought of Ryouga.
	"Heh." She thought, "I might as well test it out on him."
	Ryouga was still in the changing room.
	"Aren’t you done YET?" Ukyou asked, exasperated.
	Ryouga called from inside, "Yeah. But I didn’t want to come out and get
lost, so I stayed put.
	Ukyou giggled and then said, "Come out and let me see."
	Ryouga walked out of the changing room, looking much the same as that
morning except now his uniform seemed to fit.
	Ryouga’s eyes bugged out it shock when he saw the woman standing in front
of him and said, hesitantly, "Uh… U…U…UKYOU?!"
	Ukyou nodded and did a slight turn. She gave a self-mocking laugh and said,
"Pretty ridiculous, huh?"
	Ryouga flushed and reached up to tug on his bandanna, his eyes never
leaving Ukyou, and said, "Actually, I was going to say you looked beautiful."
	Ukyou stopped twirling around at that blatant comment, and walked right up
to Ryouga and said, "Are you serious?"
	Ryouga nodded vehemently.
	Ukyou gave Ryouga a wide smile, her eyes lighting up like jewels. She
walked up and hugged him. Ryouga blushed harder and said, "Yeah, really
serious."
	Ukyou backed away at arms length and said, "Better than Akane?"
	Ryouga looked down at the ground, unsure what to say, and Ukyou began to
lose heart. She pulled away and started to walk off. Ryouga’s next words
stopped her, however.
	"U..Ukyou?" he said, haltingly, "You…uh… you really DO look better than
Akane… I just feel bad about betraying her."
	Ukyou looked at Ryouga and smiled again and said, "I understand. And…Ryouga…"
	Ryouga looked up at her, his eyes somewhat sad, and said, "What?"
	"Thanks."
	"Uh… no problem." Ryouga gave her a confused look combined with a toothy grin.
	Later, the two went to make their purchases, and as Ukyou laid the items
down, Ryouga noticed the dress was missing.
	"Ukyou, you aren’t buying the dress?" Ryouga asked.
	Ukyou smiled at Ryouga and said, "I have to start a bit smaller than that,
Ryouga-kun. Way to feminine for someone who is just starting to let herself
change."
She indicated the pile, where there were several less feminine outfits (yet
definitely not masculine) and (Ryouga took in a sharp breath) even a couple
of bras. He managed to let the breath out and tried to focus on what he was
saying. He managed to smile and say, "Oh well. Like I said the other night,
you look just fine in whatever you wear anyway, Ukyou."
	Ukyou grinned back at Ryouga and said, "It already served its purpose anyway."
	Ryouga asked, "And what was that?"
	Ukyou just kept smiling.
	She smiled all the way back to Ucchan’s and through the lunch and dinner
crowds. And she had a smile on her face as she fell asleep that night.
	She had changed herself once for Ranma. She would never do that for anyone
again. Ukyou was going to become herself…. and discover who Ukyou Kuonji
really was. For once, she wasn’t scared of that prospect. And, finally, the
sky came a little closer, and the walls started to fall,
	The smile began to settle itself deep inside of Ukyou’s heart.

*****

	Ranma and Akane walked slowly back from the park, still hesitantly holding
hands, and both slightly flushed. What was there to say after a revelation
like this afternoon? How were they supposed to treat each other?
	The most comfortable thing was silence. At least they knew if neither of
them said anything, than the egos and criticism and stupidity would not be
let out.
	Akane laughed mentally. "What a pair we are… two people who can’t even
communicate properly trying to form a relationship."
	She stole a glance out of her eye at Ranma, who seemed to be thinking
similar thoughts. She stopped, Ranma stopped with her , looking curiously at
her, and she reached up to trace the contours of his face with her hands.
	Ranma closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch. He leaned back against the
concrete wall which lined the street as she touched him. Finally he smiled
and opened his eyes. Akane was looking at him intently.
	"What?" Akane asked.
	Ranma chucked and said, "It is just YOU. Why are you being so serious all
of a sudden? It isn’t a dream… I know that is what you are thinking."
	She blushed and looked down at her feet, and then leaned her head back to
look up at Ranma, smiling.
	"Well," she asked, "Do you blame me? It IS sort of hard to believe…"
	"Is it?" Ranma asked, seriously.
	Akane laughed and said, "Well… I was never sure… You were always so
indecisive…"
	Ranma smiled, reaching out to cup her face and said, "Not indecisive. I
think I decided the first time I met you. Just too chicken. I was afraid you
would reject me because I was half girl."
	Akane became very serious and said, "Ranma. That bothered me at first… but
you know I got over that a long time ago."
	Ranma nodded and said, "I know… I realize that now… But Akane?"
	She looked up at him in question.
	"I… I… I’m not used to it. I HATE it. I want to be a whole guy again." He
looked at Akane to gauge her reaction… she hadn’t moved away from him yet.
	"And…?" She asked, knowing there was more to this story.
	"About the okonomiyaki last night…. Yes, I ate it a Ucchan’s, but that was
not because I went to go see Ukyou instead of you… it is because I got a job
there."
	"A JOB?!" Akane exclaimed.
	Ranma nodded and added, "You see… Ryouga and I… we are trying to earn money
because we want to go back to China… and find a cure..."


(notice what Ranma reveals in his last sentence... two things...)
 
Marisa Price
marisa@gladstone.uoregon.edu
Anime Page!!! includes my Ranma and MI picture pages!!
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~marisa/
Mermaid Saga Web Page!!
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~marisa/mermaid.html
Member of COR and UDIC.
Anime otaku forever! Medieval Studies and English major.