But first, the RL news (gee, just like my firt TE post...but not quite as 
depressing.)  I have jury duty this week.  I may or may not actually get 
on a jury (the judge suspended the jury selection for the day...)  This 
is of course an honor and a duty.  Unfortunately, it's also a royal pain 
in the posterior, as my employer is *not* paying my wages while I'm away, 
and the minimal compensation does not come until two weeks after I finish 
jury duty.  So I may not be around much next week (as some of you know, I 
pay by the hour for this computer...)
On with the story...

	(Previously:  In this alternate universe, the Jyuusenkyo springs 
apparently affect the victim's mind as well as the body.  Thus Ranma's 
female half is an amnesiac who has chosen the name Ranko.  Otherwise the 
scenario seems very similar to the classic as the Saotomes (Genma and 
Ranma/Ranko) have moved into the Tendou household and Ranma has been 
engaged to Akane.  Kunou is still attacking Ranma and seems attracted to 
Ranko, who used a delaying tactic when he asked to date her.  
Unfortunately, Kunou's attack/proposition caused young Saotome to miss 
lunch...)

				TWILIGHT EXISTENCE
				by Scott K. Jamison
				(standard disclaimer)
				Part Three

	My tummy was growling something fierce by the time Kasumi met 
Akane and I after school.  Nabiki had "business" to take care of; when I 
asked what kind of business, Akane just looked embarrassed, so I dropped 
the subject. 
	We stopped at an ice cream shop to take the edge off my hunger.  
It's very hard to eat like a lady when your stomach is screaming "send 
food now!"  But I controlled myself and took dainty licks.  Akane was 
looking at me funny, but turned away when I looked back.  Kasumi and I 
chatted about my day in school. 
	Our next stop was a large discount store.  There were so many 
pretty things!  I dashed from rack to rack, looking for the cutest 
dresses. 
	"Oh, this is pretty!  Do you think these would look cute on me?  
Mauve blouse and chartreuse skirt...is that a bit much?"
	Suddenly I realized there was a sort of bluish glow around Akane, 
and she had a snarl on her face.  "Stop it, Ranko!  Just stop it!"  
People turned and stared.  I was scared of Akane.
	"I'm sorry, Akane!  I didn't mean to--what did I do?" 
	The glow died down a little as she looked me in the eye.  "You 
really don't know?  Then it's not deliberate?" 
	"What's not deliberate?"
	"The high-pitched voice, the overdone feminine gestures and 
poses, your obsession with `cute' and `pretty' and `ladylike', all that 
stuff!  It's like you're some kind of parody of a girl made up of all the 
stereotypes of someone who'd never met one!" 
	"But...this is the way I've always been."
	Kasumi stepped in.  "I've noticed that when Mr. Saotome turnes 
into a panda, he doesn't really act like a wild panda, but more like one 
that was trained by a circus or something."
	"That's right!" I answered.  "I remember thinking it was tame 
because it followed me so easily."
	"And," said Kasumi, "I'd suspect that Mr. Saotome hasn't seen 
many real wild pandas.  Just ones in circuses and zoos."
	"That's where most people see pandas nowadays." admitted Akane. 
	"Now, from what Ranma was telling us earlier, when he was in 
school, it was all-boys' schools, and his father raised him alone.  I 
don't want to be harsh on Mr. Saotome, but some of his views on women are 
rather old-fashioned, and he's passed them on to his son." 
	Akane nodded.  "I noticed.  Boy, have I noticed." 
	"So when Ranko was `born', the only instructions she had on `how 
to be a girl' were the ones in Ranma's general knowledge.  And since 
Ranma doesn't know much about girls..." 
	"Ranko has faulty instructions!" 
	"Um...are you saying that I'm not really a girl after all?"
	"Oh my.  Not at all!  It's just that right now, you're working 
with a very narrow and somewhat skewed definition of what a girl is and 
how she should act.  As you get some more experience, you'll see which 
things are really important, and which are just silly cliches to be 
tossed away.  Sometimes rigid male/female categories just aren't 
appropriate.  Oh, and that blouse and skirt definitely do not match." 
	Now that Akane was calmer, we continued shopping.  Looking back 
now, I can admit I had atrocious tastes in fashion, but at the time I 
rather resented the way Akane vetoed most of the things I liked.  We 
ended up buying three rather plain sets of skirts and blouses that all 
went well together so I could switch them off and create the illusion of 
a larger wardrobe. 
	I had freer choice of lingerie, though Akane warned me Ranma 
would go ballistic if he woke up in some of the frillier items.  A pair 
of nice shoes (no high heels yet) and a small pair of clip-on earrings 
(piercing was out of the question as long as I was sharing a body) 
rounded out the ensemble. 
	We also picked up some clothes for Ranma, Kasumi having got his 
sizes beforehand.  
	Then we stopped to pick up some takeout chicken so Kasumi 
wouldn't have to cook supper.  She likes cooking, loves it really, but 
even she needs a break now and then.  Especially when at the time, she 
was the only one in the house who knew how.  Then it was back to home.  
Yes, I was thinking of it as home by now.
	As we gathered at the table, I showed off one of my new outfits.  
Nabiki and Mr. Tendou made appreciative noises.  Father gritted his teeth 
and grabbed the table with white-knuckled hands.  I felt a twinge of 
sympathy; this was obviously not easy for him.
	After dinner, Nabiki let me know there was mail waiting 
upstairs.  
	On my shelf lay a bouquet of red roses with a scroll attached, 
and a small envelope.  The flowers were from Kunou.  His writing style 
was even more stilted than his speech, but the gist of the note was that 
he was looking forward to dating me.  He seemed quite certain I would 
accept, and, yes, assumed I'd rushed right home to beg Father for 
permission.  
	I was somewhat torn.  The roses were a very romantic, if somewhat 
extravagant, gesture, and it would be nice to have a date.  But Kunou's 
assumption that I would fall right into his arms rankled a bit.  And 
there was the fact that I was...what was a good word for it?...naive 
about some things.  I decided I should ask Nabiki more about him, since 
they seemed to be in the same grade.
	The smaller envelope had a photograph inside of a very handsome 
boy with his hair in a pigtail, wearing a red silk shirt I was all too 
familiar with.  So this was Ranma.  He looked a decent enough sort, but 
perhaps that was just the family resemblance.  I unfolded the letter.
	[Dear--What do I call you?] it began. [Little Sister, Ranko-chan, 
Hey You?  Um...Dear Ranko, I guess.  Akane says I should write this so we 
can start thinking of each other as real people.  I guess she has a 
point.  Up till now, you've been sort of this big blank spot in my life 
that other people tell me about.  Nabiki gave me a picture of you, so I'm 
keeping it in front of me as I write.  You do look kind of cute, cuter 
than that tomboy anyway.
	[What do you say to the sister you've never met?  Some of the 
basics, I guess.  I'm sixteen years old, and I've been learning martial 
arts from my father most of that time.  In fact, I can't remember a time 
when I wasn't on the road with Pops, just stopping long enough to get 
some schooling.  I don't really have any other hobbies, though I'm good 
at most sports.
	[Before all this happened, Pops was talking about me entering 
tournaments soon, making a name for myself.  Now he just seems to want to 
get me married off as quickly as possible.  It's really irritating.  I 
was just starting to look forward to dating and finding out what kind of 
girls I like, and now I'm engaged to one I barely know!
	[I suppose Akane ain't the worst girl in the world, but she's so 
angry all the time!  And I don't hardly do anything to deserve it, 
really.  Maybe if we didn't have this stupid engagement pressuring 
us...After all, she is kinda cute when she smiles.
	[Hoping to hear from you, Ranma] 
	I looked at his picture again.  I tried to imagine him talking.  
What did he sound like?  I pictured him as a little rough around the 
edges, but brave and strong.  And very irritating.  I found a piece of 
paper and began writing.
	[Dear Ranma,
	[Thank you for writing.  I am very happy to hear from you.
	[I've only been awake a few days, so I'm not sure what I want to 
do yet.  Especially since it seems some of my impulses aren't necessarily 
the right ones.
	[You're quite handsome.  We don't look much like Father, do we?  
I guess we take after Mother.  Do you know anything about her?  Father 
told Dr. Tofu she was "unavailable", whatever that means. 
	[Yes, I've noticed Akane is kind of irritable.  Just try to be 
pleasant and explain things calmly.  You might also try apologizing if 
whatever set her off is remotely your fault.
	[Upperclassman Kunou, the one you've been fighting, wants to date 
me.  I'm not sure about him, so what do you think?
	[Sincerely, Ranko.]
	I put the letter up on Ranma's shelf, along with one of Kunou's 
roses.  No sense wasting them.  I brought the rest down to Kasumi, who 
put them in water. 
	After that, I did some homework.  Just because we were a split 
personality was no reason we should fall behind at school. 
	I knocked on Nabiki's door and she let me in. 
	"What can I do you for, Ranko?"
	"I'd like to know more about Upperclassman Kunou, please."
	"Sure.  Smile for the camera."  She took a couple of pictures.  
"Well... Kunou's not really a bad person, but he's a little off in the 
head.  Half of the time he thinks he's living in a samurai movie where 
he's the brave hero protecting his warrior maiden love.  The rest of the 
time he goes for other girls.  For the past year or so, he's been fixated 
on Akane--and whichever other girl catches his fancy for a few days.  
He's absolutely sincere in loving two girls at once, at least for a 
while.  And right now he's got his eye set on you."
	"You know about that?"
	"I happen to have an excellent information network, kiddo.  That, 
and Kunou asked me to deliver the roses while raving about his 
`pig-tailed goddess.'"
	"Oh." 
	"If you date him, he is generous, you won't lack for pretty 
things as long as he's interested.  But don't be surprised if he dumps 
you for the next pretty face that comes along.  Only Akane seems to stick 
in his mind so far." 
	"Um, thanks, Nabiki."
	"No problem.  One more for the road, okay?"  She really seemed to 
like taking pictures. 
	At this point I realized that if I wanted Ranma to answer my 
letter promptly, I'd have to let him read it.  So I took a pair of his 
trousers to the changing room, rinsed off and slipped into a hot bath.  
Too bad I couldn't enjoy it myself. 
	I woke up still in the bathroom, no, *back* in the bathroom, 
judging by the light.  Ranma had left a set of his clothes in the change 
room, along with another letter. 
	[Morning!] it read. 
	[We'll work out what's best for us, I guess.
	[Mom's alive?  Come to think of it, Pops never did actually tell 
me she was dead.  I just sort of assumed it after a while.  I'll see if I 
can squeeze any news out of him. 
	[Kunou?  You gotta be kidding me!  If you've got to date someone, 
and I really wish you wouldn't, try and at least make it someone I can 
stand.  Just thinking about that guy makes my skin crawl. 
	[Anyhow, I figure it's your turn to arrive at school in the 
morning.  Wake me up at lunch, and I'll take notes on the afternoon 
classes.
	[Hang tough, Ranma.]
	I dressed in the baggy clothing (at least it was dry) and went 
down to breakfast.  As I was eating, I got an idea.  I got up, scribbled 
a message on a piece of paper, folded it, and handed it to Father. 
	"What's this then?"
	"I'm going to ask you a question, but I don't want you to get 
angry or upset.  Instead, just say what's written there, okay?"
	"Is this some kind of trick, bo--girl?" 
	"Yes, but trust me, please.  Now there's a boy at school, 
Upperclassman Kunou, who's in Nabiki's grade.  He's asked to date me--"
	Father's frown was turning into a grimace.
	"--and I told him I would need your permission to start dating.  
May I?" and I pointed to the paper.  He scanned it and looked somewhat 
relieved. 
	"`I do not think you are ready to start dating boys, Ranko.  
Perhaps when you have more experience dealing with them.'"  He was still 
frowning, but not nearly as much.
	"Thank you, Father."  And I kissed him on the cheek. 
	He felt his cheek as I rushed after Akane out the door.  I 
remember he looked...puzzled. 
	Kunou was waiting at the gate to the school.  "I, Tatewaki Kunou, 
Blue Thunder of Furikan High, do challenge you, Ranma--Where's Ranma?" 
	"He'll be in this afternoon, Upperclassman.  I'll be taking his 
morning notes." 
	"Ah, the lovely Akane Tendou is accompanied by the equally 
beautiful Ranko Saotome today!  What bliss!  I shall gladly take both--"
	"My father said `not yet', Upperclassman Kunou."
	"Eh?  Does he not know who I am?"
	"Perhaps not.  But the answer is still no."
	Akane put in, "And I wouldn't date you at all, even if my father 
*did* approve it!"  Then she pushed him out of our way.  
	He sat there in the dirt, mumbling something about "hard to get." 
	At lunch, Kunou came up to the circle of girls Akane were in, 
carrying what looked like a bundle of pink cloth.  It turned out to be a 
doll with blonde hair.
	"I have something serious to ask you" he said as he thrust it at 
me. 
	"What's that?"
	"It is a cute little dolly.  And my question is, are you certain 
you told your father exactly who you intended to date?"
	The doll was awfully tempting.  My instinct said "you *love* 
dolls!" But something else told me, "watch out!  If you take it, he'll 
want something in return..."
	"I gave Father all the information he needed.  Really, you don't 
need to bring presents to someone who isn't going to be dating you." 
	"I insist you take it.  A thing of beauty is a joy forever, and 
if I cannot yet taste your sweet lips, then I must console myself with my 
other love, sweet Ak--"  Akane punched him out.  I was beginning to 
appreciate that being a tomboy was not necessarily a bad thing. 
	After lunch, Akane found a kettle, and I went away.
	That night, Ranma and I had a "discussion" by way of pen, paper, 
and a large supply of hot and cold water.  We decided to trade off school 
days, and negotiate the weekends.  That way, I could wear a uniform on my 
days (there wasn't too much danger of accidental transformation for me.)  
	Since I didn't want to practice martial arts, we picked 
gymnastics as a hobby for me to stay in shape.  I was really quite good 
at it, I found.
	I also began cooking lessons from Kasumi.  Though Ranma claimed 
otherwise, apparently we already had some training in field cookery, and 
I soon began to be able to follow recipes. 
	Life settled into a pattern...for all of a week.

		To Be Continued...

SKJAM!
"History shows us again and again how nature points out the folly of 
man."